104 



globinophilic,* are dependent upon the same „haemoglobin"- 

 modifications, so that the kind of „haemOglobin" medium 

 employed is without significance, in deciding what shall be 

 admitted under the term 1 „haemoglobinophilic bacteria". With 

 regard to details concerning the different „haemoglobin" media, 

 the reader is referred to the chapter on cultivation technique. 

 But the negative side of the term haemoglobinophilia 

 will be discussed a little more closely. 



In the investigation of this condition ordinary agar and ascitic 

 agar were used for the examinations in the summer and autumn 

 of 1918, 24 & 25. I. 1919, 5. III. 1919, July 1920, 14. IX. 1920, 5. X. 

 1920, and for the meningitis and guinea-pig cultivations; only ascitic 

 agar was employed for the examinations in the winter of 1918—19, 

 for whooping-cough later in 1919, for measles, and for the following 

 inoculations from healthy persons: 14. I. 1919, 13. VIII. 1919, and 

 10. IX. 1919. Lastly only ordinary agar was used for the examina- 

 tions of 6. III. 1920, Sept. 1921, and Jan. & Feb. 1922. 



In using ordinary agar it was found, in the case of 

 all the bacteria, which from their properties appeared to be 

 Pfeiffer's bacilli, that by cultivating in pure culture no growth 

 at all was obtained. (It is hardly necessary to point out that 

 in subculturing from a medium rich in haemoglobin a slight 

 growth might appear in the first subculture on account of 

 some haemoglobin being carried over; but further cultivations 

 could then not be obtained). 



With ascitic agar the conditions were rather more cont- 

 plicated. 



During the time my work has been in progress ascitic 

 fluid has been widely used at the Institute for Meningococcus 

 investigations, and the fluid from a considerable number of 

 patients altogether, has been used. The value of the ascitic 

 agar as a nutritive medium 1 has therefore constantly been con- 

 trolled by the capacity of Meningococcus, even in primary 

 culture, to grow on it all times. Moreover it was not further 

 investigated with particular reference to Pfeiffer's bacillus in 

 the first year, but only those ascitic agar plates which were 

 in use at the time, were employed in the investigations into 

 haemoglobinophilia. Cultures, which from their other charac- 

 ters seemed to be Pfeiffer's bacilli, gave no growth on ascitic 



* In the strictest sense. 



