CAUSING ACUTE INFECTIONS. 77 



Infection with this organism is the cause of 

 chancroid, or soft chancre, an acute, inflammatory, 

 ulcerating sore which occurs generally on the genitals 

 and surrounding skin. It begins as a small pustule 

 which ruptures and becomes an ulcer, having a tend- 

 ency to spread. The bacilli frequently extend along 

 the lymphatic vessels and involve the adjacent glands 

 of the groin, which may undergo suppuration. The 

 bacilli can be found in the pus and discharges from 

 the ulcers. Infection results generally from sexual 

 contact, rarely from infected dressings, towels, and 

 instruments. 



THE MICROCOCCUS MELITENSIS (MALTA FEVER). 



Malta fever occurs among the people living on 

 the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, in some parts of 

 South America, and in the West Indies. It is similar 

 to typhoid fever, but is not so severe, and the mortality 

 rate is not so high. The Micrococcus melitensis, the 

 cause of the infection, is readily cultivated on the ordi- 

 nary laboratory culture media and stains easily. It 

 appears under the microscope in groups and short 

 chains. The infection is spread in the milk of goats, 

 which is the chief source of the milk-supply in Malta, 

 and probably by the mosquito. 



Patients sick with Malta fever develop in their 

 blood agglutinins for the micrococcus, which may be 

 utilized in detecting the disease. The use of vaccines 

 made from killed cultures of the micrococcus has been 

 attended with good results. 



