BACILLUS OF DUCREY 513 



septic power or ointments have been applied, repeated positive cul- 

 tures have been obtained by finding a bit of pus free from drug. It 

 is not even necessary to wash the ulcer before taking cultures. 



At the time of the publication of their first paper, Teague and 

 Deibert had cultured by the above method, 274 sores. In most cases 

 these were indiscriminately cultured, even in many cases when no 

 clinically characteristic picture was apparent. Of these 274 sores, 

 140 yielded positive Ducrey cultures. Of the 134 negative cases, 

 satisfactory notes were obtained of only 69, and from these notes it 

 is apparent that 42 of these 69 negative cases at least were not 

 chancroidal but primary syphilitic lesions. It seems to Teague fair 

 to assume that by this method probably over 90 per cent of true 

 chancroids can be diagnosed, and it is so simple that the physician 

 in the clinic can take the cultures as directed and send them to the 

 laboratory. Isolations can subsequently be made by inoculating 

 blood agar plates from the clotted blood tubes after 24 hours. The 

 nutrient agar should have a P H of 7.2 or 7.3, and the agar must be 

 neither too stiff nor its surface too dry. Teague 's results not only 

 furnish a simple method for the determination of mixed infection, 

 but also reaffirm the etiological importance of the Ducrey bacillus in 

 chancroids. 



As to prophylactic treatment, the recent experience seems to 

 indicate that warm water and soap very thoroughly applied is prob- 

 ably more effective in the prophylaxis of this type of infection, than 

 are the specific methods used for venereal prophylaxis. 



Pathogenicity. Besanc,ori, Griffon, and Le Sourd, and others, 

 have succeeded in producing lesions in man by inoculation with pure 

 cultures. Inoculation of the lower animals has, so far, been entirely 

 without result. 



