EXANTHEMATA 123 



named It provisionally Bacillus scarlatinoB. It produces 

 a poison which causes necrosis and denudation of the 

 covering epithelium and leads to an exudation of serum 

 and leukocytes. 



The results reported have not yet been confirmed; if 

 they are, this represents a most important discovery. 



The streptococci which cause the severe sore throats in 

 scarlet fever are by most bacteriologists considered as a 

 constant but secondary infection, and not as the cause of 

 the general symptoms and of the rash of scarlatina. 



Measles and German Measles. — Bodies similar to 

 INIallory's scarlet fever bodies have been described, and 

 an influenza-like bacillus has been held responsible for 

 the coryza w^hich accompanies measles, but nothing 

 definite has been proved about the bacteriology of these 

 two diseases. 



The virus of measles, whatever its nature, exists in 

 the blood of the patient during the fever. This has 

 been demonstrated by several investigators, who have 

 succeeded in producing the disease in monkeys by in- 

 oculating these animals with the blood of measles 

 patients. After the fever abated the blood was no longer 

 infectious. In monkeys the disease runs a milder course 

 than in human subjects, and a monkey that has passed 

 through one attack is thereby made immune. 



The virus passes through a Berkefeld filter, that is, 

 the filtered material remains infectious. It is destroyed 

 by heating to 55° C. for fifteen minutes, but resists 

 drying for t went }- -four hours. No development takes 

 place on any of the usual culture-media. 



Bacteriologists have found cocci and bacilli which 

 for a time were considered the causes of the disease. 



