CLASSIFICATION OF STREPTOCOCCI 415 



Thus, in horses, mules and donkeys, there is an acute contagious 

 disease of the upper air passages, colloquially known as "strangles" 

 (in German, Druse) due to the streptococcus equinus, a iioii-hemolys- 

 ing, salicin fermenting strain. The etiological significance of this 

 organism was first recognized by Schlitz 1;5 and lias been subsequently 

 confirmed. The disease attacks chiefly young animals, is charac- 

 terized by fever and general systemic depression, with subsequently 

 an acute catarrh of the nasal and pharyngeal mucosa, with local 

 glandular swelling. Often the submaxillary gland may be involved, 

 and pneumonia may ensue. In cattle, streptococci are most fre- 

 quently associated with the inflammations of the udders. Strepto- 

 coccus mastitis may seriously effect the quality and quantity of the 

 milk, and perhaps has very definite relationship to disease in human 

 beings, a matter to which we will refer in a subsequent paragraph. 

 Occasionally, post-partum uterine inflammation in cows may be caused 

 by streptococci. 



In chickens there occurs a form of septicemia caused by a 

 streptococcus which is described by Moore 44 as being an anaerobe 

 which does not liquefy gelatine, does not coagulate milk, forms 

 acid in alkalin broth and grows in flaky masses like a streptococcus 

 hemolyticus in broth cultures. Moore does not state whether it 

 produces hemolysis or not. The disease has a sudden onset, and is 

 usually fatal. It is apparently transmitted from chicken to chicken. 



Among the smaller laboratory animals, occasional streptococcus 

 infections may be observed in rabbits. Recently an epidemic disease 

 among white mice due to streptococcus was studied by Kutscher. 45 

 As a rule, however, streptococcus disease is by far more rare among 

 animals than it is among human beings. 



STREPTOCOCCUS INFECTIONS IN MAN. In man, a large variety of 

 pathological processes may be caused by streptococci and here 

 again the nature of the infection, whether definitely localized or 

 generally distributed, depends upon the relationship existing be- 

 tween the virulence of the incitant and the resistance of the subject. 



Superficial cutaneous infections are frequently caused hy strep- 

 tococci and these in the milder cases may be similar to the localized 

 abscesses caused by staphylococci. In severe cases, however, infec- 



43 Schutz, Arch. f. Thier, Heilk., 14, 1889, 172. 



44 Moore, Pathology, etc., of Infec. Diseases in Animals, MacMillan, New York, 

 1916. 



45 Kutscher, Cent. f. Bakt., xlvi. 



