72 Dr. E. Klein. [May 22, 



cultivations on gelatine are made. In this way I have obtained the 

 diphtheria bacillus in great numbers of colonies and in pure culture. 

 Zarniko (' Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Par;isit.,' vol. 6, 1889, p. 154) 

 and Escherich (ibid., vol. 7, 1890, p. 8) both state that the diphtheria 

 bacillus does grow on gelatine below 20 C. 



This bacillus diphtherias acts very virulently on guinea-pigs on 

 subcutaneous inoculation ; at the seat of the injection a tumour is 

 produced, which in its pathology and in microscopic sections com- 

 pletely resembles the diphtheritic tissue in man. In human diph- 

 theria the diphtheria bacillus is present only in the diphtheritic 

 membrane, but neither in the blood nor in the diseased viscera ; the 

 same holds good for the experimental guinea-pigs. In subcutaneous 

 inoculation with artificial culture, though it causes in these animals 

 acute disease and death the lungs, intestine, and kidney are greatly 

 congested the diphtheria bacillus remains limited to the seat of 

 inoculation. It was for these reasons that Loffler concluded that in 

 diphtheria the diphtheritic membrane alone is the seat of the 

 multiplication of the diphtheria bacillus, and that here a chemical 

 poison is produced, which absorbed into the system causes the 

 general diseased condition and eventually death. Roux and Tersiri 

 have then separated from artificial broth cultures the bacilli and the 

 chemical products, and, by the injection of these latter alone into 

 guinea-pigs, have produced a general effect. I have in this year's 

 Report to the Medical Officer of the Local Government Board (1889- 

 1890) shown that in these experiments of injection of cultures into 

 guinea-pigs, an active multiplication of the diphtheria bacilli at the 

 seat of inoculation can be demonstrated by culture experiments; from 

 the local diphtheritic tumour and the nearest lymph glands the diph- 

 theria bacilli can be obtained in pure culture on gelatine. 



On various occasions during the last three years information has 

 reached me by Health Officers (Dr. Downes, Mr. Shirley Murphy, 

 Dr. Thursfield) as to a curious relation existing between a mysterious 

 cat disease and human diphtheria in this manner, that a cat or cats 

 were taken ill with a pulmonary disease, and while ill were nursed 

 by children, and then these latter sickened with well-marked 

 diphtheria. Or children were taken ill with diphtheria, and either 

 at the same time or afterwards the cat or cats sickened. The disease 

 in the cat was described as an acute lung trouble ; the animals were 

 quiet, did not feed, and seemed not to be able to swallow ; in some 

 cases they recovered, in others they became emaciated, while the 

 lung trouble increased, and ultimately they died. In one instance 

 in the north of London, in the spring, 1889 this cat malady, 

 occurring in a house where diphtheria soon afterwards appeared 

 amongst the children, was of a widespread nature ; a veterinary 

 surgeon Mr. Daniel informed me that at that time he had several 



