DESCRIPTIONS OF PATHOGENIC BACTERIA. 175 



pseudo-influenza bacillus, is perhaps only a 

 variety of the influenza germ which has become 

 saprophytic and so impotent. Among the 

 lower animals only the ape has proved suscep- 

 tible to inoculation with this germ, although 

 rabbits may be infected with large num- 

 bers of the bacteria and develop fever and 

 paralysis. Besides la grippe, the influenza 

 organism causes in man atypical lung in- 

 flammations, haemorrhages, and especially 

 paralysis and persistent muscular weak- 

 ness. 



A true septicaemia is caused by the spiro- 

 chsete of relapsing fever discovered by Ober- 

 meier in 1873. The germ is more delicate 

 in structure than the cholera bacteria, and up 

 to the present time is known only in the form 

 of long spirals, and not in the S or comma form 

 (See Fig. 26, B, C, opposite). Moczutkow- 

 ski has successfully infected healthy men 

 with blood containing the spirochsete and 

 Carter and Koch have done the same with 

 apes, thus establishing the etiological signifi- 

 cance of this germ. Attempts to cultivate the 

 spirochaete have not yet succeeded. The germs 

 fail to retain the stain in Gram's method. 

 According to Metschnikoff the bacteria are 

 enveloped during the fever-free periods and 

 in great part destroyed by the cells of the 



