35 Suppuration 



number, kills the organisms by heating them for an hour at 

 60 C., and then uses them by subcutaneous injection for 

 producing increased resistance on the part of the patient. 



The treatment is controlled by studying the " opsonic 

 index " (q.v.), the objects being the avoidance of the " nega- 

 tive phase " or condition of diminished resistance, and the 

 progressive establishemnt of the positive phase or stage of 

 increased resistance. As the resistance increases the patient 

 rapidly improves, and many cases of obstinate acne, furun- 

 culosis, and other pyogenic infections have quickly recovered 

 under this treatment. 



STAPHYUDCOCCUS CITREUS (PASSET). 



An organism identical in many respects with the pre- 

 ceding, except that its growth on agar-agar and potato is 

 of a brilliant lemon-yellow color and its pathogenicity for 

 animals doubtful, is Staphylococcus citreus of Passe t.* As 

 it is not common and is doubtfully pathogenic, it is of much 

 less importance than the previously described organisms. 



STREPTOCOCCUS PYOGENES (ROSENBACH). 



General Characteristics. The streptococcus is a non-motile, non- 

 flagellate, non-sporogenous, non-liquefying, non-chromogenic, aerobic 

 and optionally anaerobic, spheric organism, infectious for man and the 

 lower animals. Its division in one direction of space leads to its asso- 

 ciation in the form of chains or "strings of beads." It stains by ordi- 

 nary methods and by Gram's method. 



Streptococci were probably first seen by Kochf in 1878. 

 In 1 88 1 OgstonJ called attention to the fact that two distinct 

 kinds of cocci were to be found in pus, mentioning both 

 staphylococci and streptococci. The beginning of real 

 knowledge of the streptococci, however, dates from the time 

 of their isolation and cultivation by Fehleisen and of 

 Rosenbach, || who cultivated them from 1 8 of 33 suppurative 



" Untersuchungen iiber die Aetiologie der eitrigen Phlegmone des 

 Menschen," Berlin, 1885, P- 9- 



t " Untersuchungen iiber die Aetiologie der Wundinfektionskrank- 

 heiten," Leipzig, Vogel, 1878. , 



t "British Med. Jour.," March, 1881, p. 369. 



"Aetiologie des Erysipels," Berlin, Fischer, 1883. 



|| "Mikroorganismen bei Wundinfektionskrankheiten des Menschen," 

 1884, p. 22. 



