THE CELLULAR SUBSTANCE OF PNEUMOCOCCUS 207 



good with some variations in the exact time when the fall 

 began in all our experiments with the living organism when 

 twenty-four-hour cultures were employed. During the 

 time before the fall begins, the organism is growing and 

 multiplying. The fall indicates dissolution of the cell and 

 the liberation of its poisonous constituents. When older 

 cultures are used, especially when the amount is large, the 

 fall in temperature may appear much earlier, and is due to 

 the presence of autolyzed cells in the cultures. This is 

 true not only of the pneumococcus, but of the cholera, 

 typhoid, and other bacteria. 



The cellular substance of the pneumococcus, prepared 

 by our method, is a white powder, in which the individual 

 cells readily take the stains, and it is found to be quite free 

 from debris. We administered it in suspension in sterile 

 salt solution, and generally intraperitoneally. It seems 

 to be more irritating than other bacterial cellular sub- 

 stances with which we have worked, and even 5 mg. sus- 

 pended in 5 c.c. of salt solution and injected into the peri- 

 toneal cavity seems to cause pain. The animal soon becomes 

 quite normal in appearance, and remains so for an hour 

 or two, when the fur behind the ears begins to roughen and 

 gradually the whole coat takes on this state. The posterior 

 extremities become weak and the animal is unable to main- 

 tain the erect posture. The weakness intensifies into a 

 paralytic state, and finally the animal lies stretched out 

 on its side, and seems quite unable to make a struggle. 

 Rarely there are convulsions, but, as a rule, respiration 

 slowly and quietly fails, and it is often difficult to tell 

 just when it stops. Following these symptoms, the tem- 

 perature which at first may be slightly elevated grad- 

 ually falls, and has been frequently at 85, rarely at 

 75, before respiration wholly ceases. When the dose 

 is a non-fatal one the lowest point is usually reached 

 about the seventh hour, when the temperature rises as 

 gradually as it fell. The cellular substance of the pneu- 

 mococcus is not highly poisonous compared with similar 

 preparations from other bacteria. It is rather interesting 



