220 



INFLAMMATION AND SUPPURATION 



relation to this condition is still matter of dispute. Another 

 bacillus which is now well recognised is the diplo-bacillus of 

 conjunctivitis first described by Morax. It is especially common 

 in the more subacute cases of conjunctivitis. Eyre found it in 

 2*5 per cent, of all cases of conjunctivitis. Its cultural characters 

 are given below. The xerosis bacillus, which is a small diph- 

 theroid organism (Fig. 119), has been found in xerosis of the 

 conjunctiva, in follicular conjunctivitis, and in other conditions ; 

 it appears to occur sometimes also in the normal conjunctiva. 

 It is doubtful whether it has any pathogenic action of importance. 

 Acute conjunctivitis is also produced by the pneumococcus, 

 epidemics of the disease being sometimes due to this organism, 

 and also by streptococci and staphylococci. True diphtheria of 



the conjunctiva caused 

 by the Klebs - Loffler 

 bacillus also occurs, 

 whilst in gonorrhoeal 

 conjunctivitis, often of 

 an acute purulent type, 

 the gonococcus is pre- 

 sent (p. 255). 



Diplo-bacillus of Con- 

 junctivitis. This organ- 

 ism, discovered by Morax, 

 is a small plump bacillus, 

 measuring 1x2 /A, and 

 usually occurring in pairs, 

 or in short chains of pairs 

 (Fig. 61). It is non-motile, 

 does not form spores, and 

 is decolorised by Gram's 

 method. It does not grow 

 on the ordinary gelatin and 

 agar media, the addition 

 of blood or serum being 

 necessary. On serum it forms small rounded colonies which produce 

 small pits of liquefaction ; hence it has been called the bacillus 

 lacunatus. In cultures it is distinctly pleomorphous, and involution 

 forms also occur. It is non-pathogenic to the lower animals. 



Acute Rheumatism. There are many facts which point to 

 the infective nature of this disease, and investigations from this 

 point of view have yielded important results. Of the organisms 

 isolated, the one which appears to have strongest claims is a 

 small coccus observed by Triboulet, and by Westphal and 

 Wassermann, the characters and action of which were first 

 investigated in this country by Poynton and Paine. It is now 



r.-, T,-VI ,. . , 



JIG. 61. Film preparation of conjunctival 



secretion, showing the Morax diplo-bacilhis 

 of conjunctivitis, x 1000. 



