PRODUCERS OF ABSCESS, CELLULITIS, ETC. 467 



shown by experiments that cultures of the staphylo- 

 coccus, when sterilized by boiling and injected subcuta- 

 neously into dogs, will produce local abscesses. Leber 

 found also that sterilized cultures introduced into the 

 anterior chamber of the rabbit's eye would bring about 

 a fibro-purulent inflammation, the cornea becoming in- 

 sensible, and perforation alongside of the sclerotic ring 

 finally taking place, followed by the formation of pus 

 in the anterior chamber and recovery. These local 

 changes are the results of the inoculation of small quan- 

 tities only of the dead cultures; but when large amounts 

 are injected into a vein or into the abdominal cavity, 

 toxic effects are produced. Dogs and guinea-pigs thus 

 treated usually die, showing symptoms of poisoning. 

 From the bodies of the bacteria Leber obtained, by 

 treating them with alcohol and ether, a crystalline, 

 chemical substance, which he called phlogosin. This 

 substance, which is an energetic pus-producer, is sup- 

 posed to be the active principle of the staphylococcus 

 aureus. 



Immunization. Immunity against staphylococcus in- 

 fection may be produced in different animal species 

 by the injection of increasing doses of the pure culture, 

 either living or previously sterilized by boiling. Reichel 

 thus succeeded in immunizing dogs against a surely 

 fatal dose of living as well as dead staphylococci. 

 Viquerat claims to have immunized horses in the same 

 way. 



The blood-serum of animals which have been im- 

 munized by means of living or dead cultures possesses 

 slight immunizing and curative effects in other animals, 

 but no practical use of the serum has been attempted 

 in man. 



