CHAPTER II. 

 DIPHTHERIA. 



IN 1883, Klebs pointed out the existence of a bacillus 

 in the pseudo-membranes upon the fauces of patients 

 suffering from diphtheria, but it was not until 1884 that 

 Loffler succeeded in isolating and cultivating the organ- 

 ism, which is now known by both their names the 

 Klebs-Loffler bacillus. 



The bacillus as described by Loffler is about the length 

 of the tubercle bacillus, about twice its diameter, has a 



FIG. 77. Bacillus diphtheriae, from a culture upon blood-serum; x 1000 

 (Frftnkel and Pfeiffer). 



curve similar to that which characterizes the tubercle 

 bacillus, and has rounded ends (Fig. 77). It does not 

 form chains, though two, three, and rarely four individ- 

 uals may be found joined ; generally the individuals are 

 all separate from one another. The morphology of the 

 bacillus is peculiar in its considerable irregularity, for 



