372 PYOGENIC BACTERIA. 



ments made to determine the exact cause of pus formation following 

 the injection of sterilized cultures Buchner arrives at the conclusion 

 that it is due to the albuminous contents of the bacterial cells. 



While it is demonstrated that a large number of microorganisms, 

 either living or in sterilized cultures, may give rise to the formation 

 of pus, the extended researches of Rosenbach, Passet, and other 

 bacteriologists show that few species are usually concerned in the 

 formation of acute abscesses, furuncles, etc., in man. Of these the 

 two most important, by reason of their frequent occurrence and path- 

 ogenic power, are Staphylococcus pyogenes aureus and Strepto- 

 coccus pyogenes ; next to these comes Staphylococcus pyogenes 

 albus, and the following species are occasionally found : Staphylo- 

 coccus pyogenes citreus, Staphylococcus cereus flavus, Staphylococcus 

 cereus albus, Micrococcus tenuis, Bacillus pyogenes foetidus, Micro- 

 coccus tetragenus, Micrococcus pneumonias crouposae. Two or more 

 species are often found in the same abscess ; thus Passet, in thirty- 

 three cases of acute abscess, found Staphylococcus aureus and albus 

 associated in eleven, albus alone in four, albus and citreus in two, 

 Streptococcus pyogenes alone in eight, albus and streptococcus in 

 one, and albus, citreus, and streptococcus in one. Hoffa found, in 

 twenty-two cases of inguinal bubo, aureus in ten, albus in nine, and 

 citreus in three. Bumm, in ten cases of puerperal mastitis, found 

 aureus in seven and Streptococcus pyogenes in three. Rosenbach 

 found staphylococci alone sixteen times, Streptococcus pyogenes alone 

 fifteen times, staphylococci and streptococci associated five times, 

 and Micrococcus tenuis three times in thirty-nine acute abscesses and 

 phlegmons examined by him. 



Robb and Ghrisky have shown that under the most rigid antisep- 

 tic treatment microorganisms are constantly found attached to su- 

 tures when these are removed from wounds made by the surgeon, 

 and that a skin abscess frequently results from the presence of the 

 most common of these microorganisms Staphylococcus epidermidis 

 albus. 



The authors named state their conclusions as follows : 



"A wound, at some time of its existence, always contains organisms. 

 They occur either on the stitches or in the secretions. 



" The number of bacteria is influenced by the constricting action of the 

 ligatures or drainage tube, or anything interfering with the circulation of 

 the tissues. 



' ' The virulence of the organisms present will influence the progress of 

 the wound. 



"The body temperature is invariably elevated if the bacteria are viru- 

 lent; and, indeed, in cases where many of the less virulent organisms are 

 found, almost without exception there is some rise of temperature. " 



The organism most frequently found Staphylococcus epidermi- 



