1900] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 165 



drug store which is open nights and Sundays. The patient 

 to be examined is given a drink of water to clear the 

 throat of mucus. The tongue is depressed and the STrab 

 rubbed firmly over the affected surface. The swab is now 

 rubbed gently over the surface of the solidified blood ser- 

 um in the culture tube, so as to plant the germs from the 

 throat upon the culture medium. The swab is returned to 

 its own tube and both tubes sent at once to the labora- 

 tory where a second culture tube is inoculated by the bac- 

 teriologist from the same swab. These tubes are kept at 

 37° C. for about twelve hours (often less) after which a 

 portion of the growth on the serum-surface is transferred 

 to a cover-glass, stained with Loflfler's alkaline methylene- 

 blue solution, and examined under the microscope. Diph- 

 theria bacilli grow rapidly and luxuriantly on pure blood 

 serum, while the other throat germs do not get much of 

 a start until twenty-four or even forty-eight hours. If ba- 

 cilli arc present which have the morphological character- 

 istics of the Klebs-Loffler bacilli and show the end-stain- 

 ing reaction, tbe report is made that the Klebs-Loffler ba- 

 cilli have been found. If however (as is rare) bacilli are 

 present which have the morphologic characteristics of the 

 Klebs-Loffler bacilli but do not show the end-staining re- 

 action with Loffler's solution, the report is made that ba- 

 cilli are found which may be either diphtheria bacilli or 

 pseudo-diphtheria bacilli. The patient is isolated and 

 treated for diphtheria. In the meantime a tube of alka- 

 line bouillon is inoculated with the suspected germs. If 

 at the end of 48 hours the bouillon becomes acid in reac- 

 tion the bacilli are called the Klebs-Loffler ; if the bouil- 

 lon remains alkaline the bacilli are called the pseudo-diph- 

 theria organisms. The hypodermatic injection into an 

 animal of a quantity of this bouillon would constitute a 

 test for virulence. In any case the quarantine is not main- 

 tained after the recovery of the patient when the true 

 Klebs-Loffler bacilli are not found. If requested by the 



