SUPPURA TION. 



249 



albus is almost identical with the species next to be de- 

 scribed, but differs from it in that there is no golden color 

 produced. Upon the culture-media it grows white. 



Staphylococcus Pyogenes Aureus. 

 Generally present upon the skin, though in smaller 

 numbers, is the dangerous and highly virulent Staphylo- 

 coccus pyogenes aureus (Fig. 51), or "golden staphylococ- 

 cus 

 ism 



identical with those of the preceding species, it seems 

 convenient to describe them together, pointing out such 



" of Rosenbach. As the morphology of this organ- 

 , and indeed the generality of its characters, are 



Fig. 51. — Staphylococcus pyogenes aureus, from an agar-agar culture; x iooo 



(GUnther). 



differences as occur step by step. In doing this, how- 

 ever, it must not be forgotten that, although the Staphy- 

 lococcus albus has been described first, the Staphylococcus 

 aureus is the more common organism of the suppurative 

 diseases. 



Although they had been seen earlier by several ob- 

 servers, the staphylococci were not isolated and care- 

 fully described until 1884, when Rosenbach worked upon 

 them. The results of his study, followed by Passet and 

 a host of others, have now given us pretty accurate 

 information about them. 



