382 ABSTRACTS 



or with other organisms (58). Forty cultures showed an anaerobic 

 growth of other than gas producers. Other organisms seen were: 

 pneumococcus (11), streptococcus (9), pyocyaneus (5), and varieties 

 of other than gas producers (25)." — E. C. L. M. 



The Use of Kaolin to Remove Diphtheria Bacilli from the Nose and 



Throat. B. Rappaport. (Journ. A. M. A., 1916, 66, 943-945.) 



A study of the use of kaohn in 100 cases, 96 being diphtheria patients 

 and 4 carriers. 



Kaohn, thoroughly dried and finely powered, is distributed over the 

 surfaces to be treated. In young children application can best be 

 made to the nasal mucous membrane even though the bacilli are in 

 the pharynx. Some of the kaolin will work its way into the throat 

 but the greater part will remain in the nose. Before a second treat- 

 ment the kaohn already applied and now holding organisms should 

 be removed by a mild alkaline spray. 



Six treatments per day at two hour intervals are given. With older 

 patients the kaolin is swallowed, four half teaspoonful doses at two hour 

 intervals six times during the day. 



The action of kaolin appears to be wholly mechanical, no bactericidal 

 action being evident. 



The nose may be freed of bacilli much more readily than the throat. 



Compared with 100 consecutive cases dismissed before the use of 

 kaolin, the treatment effected a percentage reduction of hospital 

 stay of 23.4. 



Various pathological conditions, as adenoids and diseased tonsils, 

 interfere with the action of kaolin. In such cases surgical treatment 

 is required. — G. H. S. 



The Practical Value of Guinea Pig Tests for the Virulence of Diphtheria 

 Bacilli. JoHH A. Kolmer, Samuel S. Woody. Emily L. Moshage. 

 (American Jour. Diseases of Children, 1916, 4, 257-268.) 

 The paper is based upon the results obtained with the guinea pig 

 test for virulence on 1054 diphtheria cultures. The method employed 

 consists of isolation of the bacilli upon slants of Loeffler's blood serum 

 media, subculturing in 0.2 per cent glucose broth with a reaction of 

 plus 0.8, incubation at 37°C., for seventy-two hours and injection sub- 

 cutaneously in the median line of a pig weighing from 250 to 300 grams 

 with a dose corresponding to 0.5 per cent of the weight of the animal 

 expressed in cubic centimeters. The total amount injected is brought 

 up to 4 cc. The animal is observed for four days and the development 

 of a typical local inflammation with toxemia is regarded as diagnostic 

 If in doubt a second pig is inoculated and at the same time is given 

 500 units of diphtheria antitoxin. 4 cc. of a good 24 hour culture 

 grown upon a tube of Loeffler's blood serum washed off in 10 cc. of 

 salt solution can also be used for injection and has the advantage of 

 saving 48 hours in time. Granular and barred types were found viru- 

 lent in about 70 per cent of cultures from throat, nose and ear, long 



