31 



tritt, LOWENFELD, Olsen, Materna & Penecke and many 

 others had the same experience in the pandemic). 



Paltaue (2) (1915) cultivated Pfeiffer's bacillus in pure culture 

 from many cases of bronchitis complicating typhus fever in a war- 

 prisoners' camp. 



According to Arneth a larger number of ^influenza" cases 

 than previously, occurred among the troops in the spring months 

 of 1915. In a number of cases Pfeiffer's bacillus could be demon- 

 strated. 



Hammond, Rolland, & Shore discovered numerous cases of 

 ,. purulent bronchitis" (influenza'?) in the army in Northern France 

 during the winter of 1916—17 and cultivated Pfeiffer's bacillus from 

 10 out of 20 of these patients. Arrahams, Hallows, Eyre, & 

 French (Aldershot 1917) found it in 7 out of 8 cases of the same 

 disease. 



Levinthal (1) reports the regular finding of Pfeiffer's bacillus 

 in „influenza" and explains that according to information from 

 Hiluerrandt in Freiburg he was able (spring and autumn 1916) 

 to confirm the diagnosis bacteriologically in nearly all the cases 

 of clinical influenza while other febrile diseases of the respiratory 

 organs usually gave a negative result. 



In an epidemic of a benign catarrhal infection which occurred 

 in the middle of April 1918 among the American troops in the 

 neighbourhood of Bordeaux, Pfeiffer's bacillus was found in the ma- 

 jority of cases when the examination was made at the beginning 

 of the disease (Office international d'hygiene publique, proces-verhaux 

 des seances. Oct. 1919, p. 116). 



On the strength of these findings in the few years prece- 

 ding the true pandemic it is not surprising that Pfeiffer's ba- 

 cillus was found in various localities immediately after it started. 



The first reports of influenza in such intensity that in can 

 be regarded as belonging to the pandemic, came as is known 

 from Spain where (according to Pulido) it began in the first 

 half of May 1918. (Nothing is said about the true origin and 

 mode of spread of the pandemic). 



In that country Ruiz Y Falco & Tapio found Pfeiffer's ba- 

 cillus in the majority of cases examined, as early as May. 



In June and July the pandemic extended over the rest of 

 Europe and in many places bacteriological investigations were 

 starlet! with special reference to Pfeiffer's bacillus, immedia- 

 tely after the disease appeared in the locality. 



