160 PATHOGENIC BACTERIA. 



ten individuals, but sometimes reaching a hundred in 

 number. Occasionally the chains can be found collected 

 in tangled masses. They can be cultivated at the room- 

 temperature, but grow much better at 30-37 C. They 

 are not particularly sensitive to the absence of oxygen, 

 but develop a little more rapidly in its presence. 



The erysipelas cocci, like the Streptococcus pyogenes, 

 are not motile, form no spores, and are destroyed by a 

 low degree of heat. They stain well with aqueous solu- 

 tions of anilin dyes and also by Gram's method. 



The colonies upon gelatin and the development in 

 gelatin tubes, upon agar-agar, and upon blood-serum 

 are identical with the descriptions of the Streptococcus 

 pyogenes. No growth occurs on potato. 



The growth in bouillon is generally luxuriant, and in 

 a short time causes the medium to be filled with chains 

 of the cocci. As the growth progresses these chains 

 gather in clusters and fall to the bottom as a whitish 

 granular precipitate, above which the liquid remains 

 clear. 



When injected into animals Fehleisen's coccus behaves 

 exactly like the Streptococcus pyogenes. 



Observation has shown that dire results may follow the 

 entrance of this organism into exposed wounds, and that 

 it causes not only local suppuration, but sometimes a 

 general infection. 



The empiric experience that the occasional accidental 

 infection of malignant tumors with erysipelas cocci was 

 followed by sloughing and subsequent disappearance of 

 the tumor, suggested inoculation with the Streptococcus 

 erysipelatis as a therapeutic measure. The dangerous 

 character of the remedy, however, caused many to re- 

 frain from its use, for when one inoculated the living 

 erysipelas germs into the tissues he never could estimate 

 the exact amount of disturbance that would follow. The 

 difficulty seems to have been overcome by Coley, who 

 recommends the toxin instead of the living coccus for 

 injection. A virulent culture is obtained, inoculated 



