378 BACTERIA PATHOGENIC TO MAN 



inal cavity, or subcutaneously, producing death of the animals with 

 symptoms of poisoning. Hauser has obtained the bacillus proteus 

 vulgaris from a case of purulent peritonitis, from purulent puerperal 

 endometritis, and from a phlegmonous inflammation of the hand. 

 Brunner also reports similar infections in which this organism w r as 

 found associated with pus cocci, and Charrin describes a case of pleu- 

 ritis during pregnancy, in which the proteus was present and a foul- 

 smelling secretion was produced. Death in this case, which ensued 

 without further complication, is said to have been due probably to the 

 poisonous products of the proteus. 



An interesting example of pure toxaemia resulting from the toxin 

 of the proteus is reported by Levy : While conducting some experiments 

 on this organism he had an opportunity of making a bacteriological 

 examination in the case of a man who died after a short attack of cholera 

 morbus. From the vomited material and the stools he obtained a 

 pure culture of the proteus; but the blood, collected at the autopsy, 

 was sterile. Tn the mean time seventeen other persons who had eaten 

 at the same restaurant were taken sick in the same way. Upon exami- 

 nation at the restaurant it was found that the bottom of the ice-chest 

 in which the meat was -kept was covered with a slimy, brown layer, 

 which gave off a disagreeable odor. Cultures from this gave the pro- 

 teus as the principal organism present. Injections into animals of the 

 pure cultures produced similar symptoms as occurred in the human 

 subjects. 



Levy concludes that in so-called " flesh poisoning" bacteria of this 

 group are chiefly concerned, and that the pathogenic effects are due 

 to toxic products evolved during their development. 



Booker, from his extended researches into this subject, concludes 

 that the proteus plays an important part in the production of the mor- 

 bid symptoms which characterize cholera infantum. Proteus vulgaris 

 was found in the alvine discharge in a large proportion of the cases 

 examined by him, but was not found in the feces of healthy infants. 

 "The prominent symptoms in the cases of cholera infantum in which 

 the proteus bacteria were found were drowsiness, stupor, and great re- 

 duction in flesh, more or less collapse, frequent vomiting and purging, 

 with watery and generally offensive stools." 



Next to the bacillus coli communis the proteus vulgaris appears to 

 be the micro-organism most frequently concerned in the etiology of 

 pyelonephritis. In cases of cystitis and of pyelonephritis this bacillus 

 is often found in pure cultures or associated with other bacteria. It 

 probably gets into the bladder chiefly through catheterization. From 

 the animal experiments of the authors above mentioned, simple injec- 

 tion of pure cultures of proteus into the bladder, without artificial sup- 

 pression of urine, invariably produces severe cystitis. The fact that 

 this organism grows in urine is sufficient to acconnt for the extension 

 of the purulent process finally to the kidneys. 



The proteus vulgaris is, however, a harmless parasite when located 

 in the mucous membrane of the nasal cavities. Here it only decom- 



