316 MALTA FEVER, ETC. 



ure by splenic puncture. It is pathogenic for the usual 

 laboratory animals. 



Mumps Epidemic Parotitis. 



Pasteur discovered a bacillus in the blood of persons suffer- 

 ing from epidemic parotitis. Micrococci and other bacilli 

 have been found in the blood, urine, and saliva. The diffi- 

 culty which naturally attends the study of these organisms, 

 because of their location in the parotid gland and their con- 

 tamination, as they pass through the mouth, with both sta- 

 phylococci and streptococci, is probably one reason why the 

 specific cause of this disease has not been discovered. 



A diplococcus which grows in pairs and fours and in 

 zoogloea masses has also been described. 



Pasteur obtained his Bacillus parotitis directly from Sten- 

 son's duct after thoroughly disinfecting the mouth, and also 

 by withdrawing a few drops of fluid from the inflamed 

 parotid gland with a hypodermic syringe. 



The bacillus grows very slowly, which is characteristic, 

 forming small white colonies on gelatin. The medium is 

 gradually liquefied. On potato it begins as a thin white 

 streak which slowly spreads over the surface of the potato. 

 The growth on blood-serum is more rapid but not character- 

 istic. Milk is coagulated ; litmus-milk is decolorized by the 

 production of acid. 



This germ has never been found in the mouth of healthy 

 persons. Injections of pure cultures into animals have not 

 as yet produced the disease. 



The diplococcus, which has been found in the blood and 

 feces, was contained in the cells like a gonococcus ; but it is 

 considerably smaller than the gonococcus. 



This diplococcus stains readily with the anilin dyes, but 

 not by Gram's method. 



When cultivated, it forms very minute transparent colonies 

 which remain discrete. On slightly alkaline media the 

 growth is more rapid. Ascitic fluid is also available as a 

 culture-medium. Milk is coagulated. It has not been pos- 

 sible to establish its specificity. 



