422 INFECTION AND IMMUNITY. 



Man appears to be very susceptible to the intoxica- 

 tion, whereas dogs, rats, and cats are relatively im- 

 mune. The toxin is pathogenic by subcutaneous or 

 intra vascular injection. 



Acording to v. Ermengem, the bacilli when in- 

 oculated subcutaneously do not proliferate, but are 

 taken up by the phagocytes immediately or after 

 they have been carried to other organs. Animals 

 which have recovered from infection or which have 

 been immunized acquire rather strong immunity 

 to subsequent inoculations, the immunity being 

 antitoxic. 



prophylaxis The prophylactic measures consist in the avoid- 



and toxinT ance f poorly preserved and improperly cooked 



meats, especially sausages. Botulism would seem 



to be very rare in this country where raw meats 



are not used extensively. 



The antitoxin (Kempner) has proved of some 

 value in animal experiments, but its commercial 

 preparation has not been warranted on account of 

 the rarity of the disease. 



IV. BACILLUS PYOCYANEUS. 



Pathogenic For a long time it was thought that the "bacillus 

 Q ^ ^-j^ ^g, wag ^ no i m p 0r t a nce as an infectious 

 agent for man, although its pathogenicity for ani- 

 mals had been recognized experimentally. It is 

 found with some frequency in the blood and or- 

 gans of man at autopsy, when death has resulted 

 from some other infection or chronic disease, and 

 in such instances it is supposed that a so-called 

 "agonal invasion" by the organism has occurred. 

 During recent years, however, several cases of pri- 

 mary pyocyaneus septicemia have been observed, 

 the bacillus having been obtained from the blood 



