HISTORY OF PNEUMOCOCCUS: 1875-1890 9 



and that the agent, as demonstrated by sufficient scientific facts, 

 could be said to be a species of Schyzomycetes. 



Ziehl, 1574 familiar with the work of Klebs, Eberth, Friedlander, 

 and von Leyden, sought bacteria in the sputum of two pneumonia 

 patients. He saw ellipsoidal cocci in the early stages of the disease, 

 and the same organism mixed with many other bacterial forms in 

 the later stages. Peiper 1076 reported the presence of large numbers 

 of diplococci in lung-puncture fluid. That primary sporadic cere- 

 brospinal meningitis could be caused by Pneumococcus was first 

 discovered by von Leyden 810 but, because the oval diplococci ap- 

 peared to be slightly larger than those found in pneumonia, he was 

 in doubt as to their true nature. 



Late in 1883, Talamon, 1377 although lacking conclusive experi- 

 mental data, felt justified in stating that lobar, fibrinous pneu- 

 monia was an infectious disease produced by a specific microbe 

 with a characteristic form, and he named the organism, Coccus 

 lanceole de la pneumonic He found this coccus in the pulmonary 

 exudate taken by lung puncture, and once in the blood during 

 life. Since only a fluid medium was used, the cultures were seldom 

 pure. Talamon failed to infect guinea pigs or dogs with this mixed 

 growth, but sixteen out of twenty rabbits succumbed to inocula- 

 tion, although none developed pleuritis, pericarditis, or pneu- 

 monia. Notwithstanding the fact that his experimental results did 

 not fulfill all the requirements of Koch's law, the claim was cor- 

 rect, and the statement that pneumonia is a localized disease, prin- 

 cipally pulmonary, and susceptible of becoming generalized in 

 other organs, was true.* 



During the year 1884, interest in Pneumococcus spread and 

 fresh information came from various sources. Gram 545 himself gave 

 the details of the indispensable stain which now bears his name, 

 and described how the capsule first took the dye and then gave it 



"Mendelsohn (1884)892 gave an excellent review of the current ideas on the 

 epidemiology and infectiousness of pneumonia. 



