194 PATHOGENIC BACTERIA. 



Liebman l reports two cases of streptococcic enteritis 

 that were cerefully studied bacteriologically. 



Flexner, 2 in a series of autopsies upon cases of death 

 from various diseases, found the bodies invaded by num- 

 erous micro-organisms, causing what he has called u term- 

 inal infections," and hastening the fatal issue. Of 793 

 autopsies at Johns Hopkins Hospital, 255 from chronic 

 heart or kidney diseases, or both, were sufficiently well 

 studied bacteriologically to meet the needs of a statis- 

 tical inquiry. Tubercular infection was not included. 

 Of the 255 cases, 213 gave positive bacteriological results. 

 "The micro-organisms causing the infections, 38 in all, 

 were the Streptococcus pyogenes, 16 cases; Staphylococcus 

 pyogenes aureus, 4 cases; Micrococcus lanceolatus, 6 cases; 

 gas bacillus (B. Aerogenes capsulatus), three times alone 

 and twice combined with the Bacillus coli communis; the 

 gonococcus, anthrax bacillus, Bacillus proteus, the last 

 combined with the Bacillus coli, the Bacillus coli alone, a 

 peculiar capsulated bacillus, and an unidentified coccus." 



It is interesting to observe how many cases were 

 accompanied by the streptococcus. All the streptococci 

 may not have been streptococcus pyogenes, but for con- 

 venience in his statistics they were regarded by Flexner 

 as identical. 



The streptococcus of Rosenbach is thought by many 

 to be identical with a streptococcus described by Fehleisen 

 as the Streptococcus erysipelatis (Fig. 55). The two or- 

 ganisms have much in common, but much difference of 

 opinion exists upon the subject of their identity. It may 

 seem unwise to omit the Streptococcus erysipelatis as a 

 major topic for discussion, but the similarity of the or- 

 ganism to that just described has caused us to consider 

 them in the same connection. 



The streptococci of erysipelas can be obtained in almost 

 pure culture from the serum which oozes from a puncture 

 made in the margin of an erysipelatous patch. They are 



1 Ctntmlbl. ///> liakt. //>/</ l\jmsitenk., Bd. xxii., Nos. 14 and 15, p. 376. 

 1 Journal of Experimental Medicine, vol. i., No. 3, 1896. 



