160 SUPPURATION-PUS COCCI. 



healing or recovery. Pus was taken to be significant of the 

 discharge of the poison which was responsible for the infec- 

 tion, and the sooner this poison was gotten rid of the better. 

 The wound could not {ieal until suppuration had occurred. 

 In lobar pneumonia pus in the sputum was anxiously looked 

 for, and its appearance hailed with delight. The advent of 

 antisepsis completely revolutionized the treatment of wounds, 

 and the physician -HoVAdo^\aU' in hijs power to prevent sup- 

 puration. The occurrence of suppuration is considered a 

 mark of inefficiency on the part of the attendant, and is 

 known to interfere with and even prevent the healing of 

 wounds. All the surgeon's efforts are directed toward the 

 prevention of sepsis. Sterilization and disinfection are car- 

 ried out so carefully and thoroughly that pus-formation or 

 infection with the pus bacteria is a rather infrequent occur- 

 rence. 



Many bacteria are responsible for the formation of pus, but 

 those which are classed particularly as the pus-producing organ- 

 isms, and which do not necessarily produce any general in- 

 fectious disease, but only localized suppurations, are : 



The pus cocci the staphylococci and streptococci ; 



Bacillus pyocyaneus ; blue-pus bacillus ; 



Micrococcus gonorrhrese, or gonococcus ; 



Diplococcus pneumoniffi, or pneumococcus ; 



Bacillus of Friedlaender, or pneumobacillus; 



Diplococcus intracellularis meningitidis ; meningococcus. 

 Other bacteria which have been found in suppurative 

 lesions are Bacillus typhosus, Bacillus coli communis, and the 

 various organisms belonging to the so-called " colon group." 



Staphylococcus Pyogenes. 



The pyogenic staphylococci are divided into several kinds 

 depending upon their color-production. We have Staphylo- 

 coccus pyogenes aureus, Staphylococcus pyogenes albus, Sta- 

 phylococcus pyogenes citreus, Staphylococcus cereus albtis, and 

 Staphylococcus cereus flavus. 



Habitat : The staphylococci are widely distributed in 

 nature, but are never found in very large numbers in any 



