430 



PLAGUE 



areas of haemorrhage and necrosis, chiefly in the lungs, liver, 

 and spleen. The bacilli occur in enormous numbers in the 

 swollen glands, being often so numerous that a film preparation 

 made from a scraping almost resembles a pure culture (Fig. 

 143). In sections of the glands in the earlier stages the bacilli 

 are found to form dense masses in the lymph paths and sinuses 



FIG. 147. Section of a human lymphatic gland in plague, showing the 

 injection of the lymph paths and sinuses with masses of plague bacilli seen 

 as black areas. 



Stained with carbol-thionin-blue. x 50. 



(Fig. 147), often forming an injection of them; they may also 

 be seen growing as a fine reticulum between the cells of the 

 lymphoid tissue. At a later period, when disorganisation of 

 the gland has occurred, they become irregularly mixed with the 

 cellular elements. Later still they gradually disappear, and 

 when necrosis is well advanced it may be impossible to find any 

 a point of importance in connection with diagnosis. In the 

 spleen they may be very numerous or they may be scanty, 

 according to the amount of blood infection which has occurred ; 



