NON-SPECIFIC PYOGENIC COCCI 201 



cocci and Micrococci are commonly present in fistulas and in poll- 

 evil in horses. 



Septicemia and Pyemia. When an unusually virulent Strepto- 

 coccus gains entrance to the blood-stream it may cause septicemia 

 (blood-poisoning). Direct growth through a blood-vessel wall 

 may result in the formation of an infected blood-clot, and later, 

 when broken up, it produces thrombi and may lead to embolism. 

 Abscess formation proceeds at the new foci of infection. Multiple 

 metastatic abscess formation of this character is known as pyemia. 



Erysipelas. This infection in man is characterized by a severe 

 inflammation of the skin, in which this organism is present in 

 large numbers in the lymph-spaces of the subcutaneous tissue. 

 Erysipelas seems to be due to an invasion with a peculiarly patho- 

 genic organism and to a lack of resistance on the part of these 

 tissues. Somewhat similar lesions have been noted upon lower 

 animals. The erysipelas of swine- must not be confused with this 

 disease, as it is caused by a totally different organism. 



Infection of Mucous Surfaces. Tonsillitis in man, enteritis 

 in children, non-diphtheritic anginas, and similar inflammations 

 of mucous surfaces are commonly caused by Streptococcus. 

 Puerperal fever, an infection of a mucous surface following child- 

 birth and its consequent septicemia, has been demonstrated in 

 many cases to be due to Streptococcus infection, not infrequently 

 contracted from a case of erysipelas. Less is known of the rela- 

 tionship of Streptococcus to related diseases in animals, though 

 doubtless it plays an important part. 



Peritonitis following an enterotomy is usually due to infection 

 of the peritoneum with Streptococcus pyogenes, although other 

 organisms are equally capable of giving rise to this condition. 



Pneumonia, particularly the traumatic pneumonia of the horse, 

 may be caused by this organism. The so-called contagious 

 pleuropneumonia of the horse is believed by many investigators 

 to be due to an organism which has not been shown to differ 

 materially from Streptococcus pyogenes, except for its exceptional 

 virulence and mode of attack. The disease is contagious, and in 

 this respect differs from most types of streptococcic infection. 



Ulcerative Endocarditis. This affection is produced most 

 commonly by Streptococcus, although Micrococcus is found in 



