254 Wound Infection; Suppuration 



STAPHYLOCOCCUS PYOGENES AUREUS (ROSENBACH *) . 



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

 sporogenous, liquefying, chromogenic, pathogenic, aerobic and option- 

 ally anaerobic coccus, staining by the ordinary methods and by Gram's 

 method. 



Commonly present upon the skin, though in smaller 

 numbers than the organisms already described, is the more 

 virulent and sometimes dangerous Staphylo coccus pyogenes 

 aureus (Fig. 73), or "golden staphylococcus," first observed 

 by Ogston and cultivated by Rosenbach. As the mor- 

 phology and cultural characteristics of this organism are 

 identical with those of the preceding species, it seems con- 

 venient to describe them together, pointing out such 

 minor differences as occur. In doing this, however, it must 



Fig. 73. Staphylococcus pyogenes aureus, from an agar-agar culture. 

 X 1000 (Gunther). 



not be forgotten that, although Staphylococcus albus was 

 first mentioned, Staphylococcus aureus is the more common 

 organism of suppuration. 



STAPHYLOCOCCI PYOGENES AUREUS ET ALBUS. 



Distribution. The cocci are not widely distributed in 

 nature, seeming not to find a purely saprophytic existence 

 satisfactory. They occur, however, upon man and the 

 lower animals, and can occasionally be found in the dusts of 



* " Mikroorganismen bei Wundinfektionskrankheiten des Men- 

 schen," Wiesbaden, 1884. 



