424 MANUAL OF BACTERIOLOGY. 



Ewing* on the contrary comes to the conclusion from his 

 study of the subject, in which he corroborates and extends the 

 observations of others, that the bodies are probably degenerated 

 tissue cells. The fact that the forms met with are peculiar to 

 variola and to vaccinia, not found in other morbid processes 

 nor in healthy tissue, Ewing finds is no convincing proof of the 

 organized character of the bodies; for the forms of cell degener- 

 ation found in diphtheria, in measles, in glanders, in rabies, 

 are all peculiar and characteristic in these diseases. No 

 other agent has been found which will cause the same form 

 of cell degeneration which is caused by the toxin of diphtheria, 

 and this is true in regard to other diseases than diphtheria. 



It is thus evident that competent authorities are not as yet 

 agreed upon the nature of the organism causing small-pox. 

 Still it seems settled that there are characteristic bodies which 

 are always found in the disease whether these be living para- 

 sites or merely peculiar forms of cell degeneration. These 

 bodies are also found in vaccinia, and in the lesions produced 

 by 'the inoculation of monkeys, and also in the lesions of the 

 cornea of rabbits which have inoculated in the eye with small- 

 pox or vaccine virus. 



SCARLET FEVER AND MEASLES. 



Fieldf obtained in specimens from the skin taken at autopsy and in the 

 serum secured intravitam by the use of a small blister-plaster in cases of scarlet 

 fever and measles preparations showing protozoon-like bodies previously 

 described by MalloryJ in material secured at autopsy in cases of scarlet fever 

 only. Field used many different kinds of stains, and found Giemsa to give the 

 best results ; Hastings almost as good. The bodies which are of interest resemble 

 closely the extracellular forms of the malarial parasite. They show a pale blue 

 protoplasm with one or more granules which vary in size from a mere point to a 

 particle occupying almost the total diameter of the body. In four cases they 

 were arranged so as to imitate the malarial rosettes. Field states in regard to 

 the character of these bodies, that while it cannot be stated that they are not 

 protozoa the majority of thsm arise fiom degenerating cells. The bodies in the 

 blister-fluid resemble other granular bodies seen in the blood under certain con- 



*Ewing. Journ. Med. Research. Vol. XII. . 1904. p. 509. Vol. XIII. 

 1905. pp. 233-252. 



jJourn. Exper. Med. Vol. VII. Feb.-Nov. 1905. pp. 343-350. 

 t Journ. Med. Research.. Vol. X. 1904. p. 483. 



