Staphylococcus Pyogenes Albus 253 



upon the local and general immunity of the individual, 

 rather than upon the absence of organisms from the wounds. 



STAPHYLOCOCCUS EPIDERMIDIS ALBUS (WELCH). 



General Characteristics. A non-motile, non-flagellate, non- 

 sporogenous, slowly liquefying, non-chromogenic, aerobic and optionally 

 anaerobic, doubtfully pathogenic coccus, staining by the usual methods 

 and by Gram's method, and having its natural habitat upon the skin. 



Under the name Staphylococcus epidermidis albus, Welch * 

 has describe'd a micrococcus which seems to be habitually 

 present upon the skin, not only upon the surface, but also 

 deep down in the Malpighian layer. He believes it to be 

 Staphylococcus pyogenes albus in an attenuated condition, 

 and if this opinion be correct, and there is seated deeply 

 in the derm a coccus which may at times cause suppuration, 

 the conclusions of Robb and Ghriskey, that sutures of cat- 

 gut when tightly drawn may be a cause of skin-abscesses by 

 predisposing to the development of this organism, are cer- 

 tainly justifiable. As all the morphologic and cultural 

 characteristics of the organism correspond to those of the 

 following species, no separate description of them seems 

 necessary. 



STAPHYLOCOCCUS PYOGENES ALBUS (ROSENBACH-J-). 



General Characteristics. A non-motile, non-flagellate, non- 

 sporogenous, liquefying, non-chromogenic, aerobic and optionally 

 anaerobic, mildly pathogenic coccus, staining by the ordinary methods 

 and by Gram's method. 



Although, as stated, Staphylococcus pyogenes albus is 

 a common cause of suppuration, it rarely occurs alone, 

 Passet so finding it in but 4 out of 33 cases investigated. 

 When pure cultures of the coccus are subcutaneously in- 

 jected into rabbits and guinea-pigs, abscesses occasionally 

 result. Injected into the circulation, the staphylococci oc- 

 casionally cause septicemia, and after death can be found in 

 the capillaries, especially in the kidneys. From this it will 

 be seen that the organism is feebly and variably pathogenic. 



In its morphologic and vegetative characteristics Sta- 

 phylococcus albus is almost identical with the species next 

 to be described, differing from it only in the absence of its 

 characteristic golden pigment. 



* "Amer. Jour. Med. Sci.," 1891, p. 439. 



t " Wundinfektionskrankheiten des Menschen," Wiesbaden, 1884. 



