380 ABSTRACTS 



Bacteria Associated with Certain Types of Abnormal Lymph Glands. 

 J. C. ToRREY. (Jour. Med. Res., 1916, 34, 65-81.) 

 With a view to substantiating the claims of various authors that a 

 diphtheroid bacillus is the causative agent in Hodgkin's disease, the 

 author cultured 40 abnormal lymph glands, including 10 cases of 

 Hodgkins. Three distinct groups of aerobic diphtheroid bacilli, one 

 anaerobic group, and various other types of organisms were found and 

 such a diversity of pathological conditions as to preclude the possibility 

 of attaching importance to any one type as the cause of Hodgkin's 

 disease. Serological reactions and animal inoculations failed to show 

 any specificity. 



The finding of the anaerobic diphtheroid type in 100 per cent of 

 the cases of Hodgkin's as well as in various other conditions, although 

 interesting, the author does not believe is of any importance as throw- 

 ing light on the cause of the disease in question, and only emphasizes 

 the need of caution in accepting uncontrolled results as conclusive 

 evidence. — H, W, L. 



The Diagnosis of Genitourinary Tuberculosis. J. W. Churchman. 



(Medical Record, 1916, 89, 511-513.) 



The mode of entrance of tubercle bacilli into the urine is not definitely 

 proved, but it seems probable that the normal kidney is permeable 

 for the tubercle bacillus as well as for other organisms. That infection 

 does not extend upward from bladder to kidney is a well-established 

 fact. 



The most reliable sign in diagnosing renal tuberculosis is the presence 

 of tubercle bacilli in the urine, though in rare cases there may be tuber- 

 culosis of the kidney with no demonstrable tubercle bacilli in the 

 urine. In such cases the granules described by Much may be worthy 

 of attention. These granules are interpreted by him to represent 

 types of the tubercle bacillus which do not possess the ordinary acid- 

 fast character. Although it is impossible to say what the significance 

 of the Much granules is, it is true that they were present in the urine 

 in a case of tuberculous kidney where tubercle bacilli were not found 

 in the urine.— M. W. C. 



Relapsing Fever in Serbia. J. Rudis-Jicinsky. (New York Med. 



Jour., 1916, 103, 643-645.) 



Hundreds of cases of relapsing fever occurred in Serbia during the 

 past winter. 



In many cases examination of the blood revealed Spirillum ober- 

 meieri. This organism was filamentous, of spiral form, much elon- 

 gated, and in motion followed its long axis. It was about four times 

 the diameter of a red blood corpuscle. The organism was aerobic. 

 It could be stained easily with anilin colors in dry blood, but was not 

 found in other fluids or secretions of the body. 



The stage of the disease at which the spirochaete could be found 

 in the blood was not always the same. 



