Bacteriology. — “On the so-called filtrable virus of influenza des- 
cribed by von ANGeErEr.” By L. K. Worrr. (Communicated 
by Prof. C. Eykman). 
(Communicated in the meeting of June 28, 1919). 
Towards the end of 1918 von ANGERER *) published communica- 
tions on a virus of influenza, discovered by him. He injected rats 
with sputa of sufferers from influenza, filtered the blood of these 
rats germfree, when they were already very ill and put the filtrate 
into glucose-broth. After incubation at a temperature of 37° C. this 
broth became turbid, without bacteria distinctly being found in 
them. Yet von ANGERER describes very small formations, angioplas- 
mata, which he considers the cause of the influenza. This commu- 
nication was confirmed and completed by himself and other inves- 
tigators?). The result of these researches was that the rat was no 
longer necessary for isolating the virus, but that it was sufficient to 
add blood of sufferers from influenza to the broth. 
While investigating, together with Dr. SNAPPER *) the secondary 
bacteria that are the cause of pneumonia in influenza-patients, we 
have sometimes observed this turbidness, without being able to 
find any microbe in the liquid. 
Yet we were struck by the fact, that a great number of round, 
gram-negative granules were to be found in such a _ broth, but 
the unequal size had prevented us from considering these formations 
as bacteria. After the communications of von ANGERER had been 
published, I have paid more attention to this turbidness, which is 
obtained by inoculating the blood of influenza-patients into glucose- 
broth and by incubating this liquid at 37°C., and I have been able 
to observe them in three cases of serious influenza-pneumonia. | 
must add at once however that | found them also in a case of endo- 
1) Münchener Med. Woch. 1918, N°. 46 and 47. 
2) PRELL: ibidem 1918, N". 52. 
LescHKE, Berlin. Klin. Woch. 1919, NO. 1. 
See further OLSEN (Report Aertzl. Verein Hamburg Jan. 7th 1919) and KRONBERGER, 
Deutsche Med. Woch 1919, N° 9, who consider the results of von ANGERER 
non-specific. 
5) Tijdschr. v. Geneesk. 1919, p. 1483. 
