124 CLINICAL BACTERIOLOGY. 



infection with bacterium coli or with another member of 

 this group. At the same time there is always fever, which 

 gradually increases ; and usually also dyspnea. After the 

 disease has existed for a shorter or a longer period of time, 

 death results, with decline of temperature, and not rarely 

 with convulsions. Upon postmortem examination the 

 individual organs exhibit parenchymatous cloudiness, the 

 spleen is enlarged, there is often nephritis, but there are 

 otherwise no special alterations. On microscopic exam- 

 ination and cultural investigation, however, the bacteria 

 introduced can be seen in large numbers everywhere : in 

 every tissue, in the secretions, in the blood. They have 

 multiplied in the blood, and fill all of the vessels down to 

 the smallest capillaries, which, by reason of their numbers, 

 they often actually plug. The bacteria are demonstrable 

 in the blood already during life, after the disease has 

 existed for some time, but generally not in the numbers 

 in which they are found after death. Their greatest multi- 

 plication appears to take place just before death, and in 

 the cadaver. 



The pathogenic activity of the individual causative agents 

 of inflammation may be stated as follows : 



Staphylococci : Cutaneous inoculation is unattended 

 with ill results ; subcutaneous injection induces a local 

 abscess in mice, guinea-pigs, rabbits ; and intravenous injec- 

 tion, at times, pyemia in rabbits. 



Streptococci : If the material is rubbed upon small 

 cutaneous wounds of the rabbit's ear, erysipelatous inflam- 

 mation follows. Subcutaneous injections in mice and 

 guinea-pigs are followed by septicemia, with or without 

 local abscess ; and intravenous injection induces septicemia. 



Diplococcus lanceolatus Frankel is pathogenic for rab- 

 bits, mice, and guinea-pigs. Death from septicemia occurs 

 with certainty in rabbits after subcutaneous injection of even 

 small amounts. Mice are somewhat less susceptible, but they 

 die mostly of pneumococcus-septicemia ; and guinea-pigs, 

 only after the introduction of considerable amounts. After 

 intraperitoneal injection guinea-pigs frequently die in con- 

 sequence of fibrinous peritonitis. In dogs the inflammation 

 caused by the diplococcus remains local, the bacteria not 

 entering the blood ; the dogs, however, die as a result of 

 the poisoning (sepsis), and most readily after subcutaneous 

 inoculation. 



