TO BE DUE TO SPECIFIC MICROORGANISMS. 517 



logical methods in Koch's laboratory during the years 1885, 1886 y 

 and 1887, the spirillum of Finkler and Prior was not found in a 

 single instance (Frank). 



CONJUNCTIVITIS. 



The various forms of conjunctivitis have been ascribed to the 

 specific action of bacteria. That this is true as regards gonorrhoeal 

 ophthalmia is now generally admitted, and there is some reason to 

 believe that the bacillus discovered by Koch and studied by Kartulis 

 (see Bacillus of Kartulis) is the cause of one form of " Egyptian 

 catarrhal conjunctivitis." The non-infectious forms of conjunctivitis 

 can scarcely be supposed to be due to the action of specific micro- 

 organisms ; but it is probable that an inflammation resulting from 

 any cause, such as a chemical or mechanical irritant, may be aggra- 

 vated and become chronic as a result of the presence of various 

 microorganisms, and especially of the pyogenic micrococci. 



With reference to the so-called bacillus of xerosis, the researches 

 of Schreiber, made in Neisser's laboratory, show that it is not pecu- 

 liar to xerosis, but that it is often found quite as abundantly in 

 other eye affections and also in the healthy con-'unctival sac. 



CORYZA. 



Hajek found in the secretions of acute nasal catarrh a large diplococcus, 

 called by him " Diplococcus coryzae," and probably identical with the diplo- 

 coccus previously obtained by Klebs from the same source. This was most 

 abundant during the early stage of the disease, when the secretion from the 

 nasal mucous membrane was thin and abundant ; later various other micro- 

 organisms were encountered in greater numbers, and among them Fried- 

 lander's bacillus. There is no satisfactory evidence that the diplococcus of 

 Hajek or any other known bacteria are directly concerned in the etiology of 

 this affection. To what extent chronic nasal catarrh is due to the action of 

 microorganisms is also uncertain, but it appears probable that tbey play an 

 important part in maintaining such inflammations ; and in ozsena the offen- 

 sive odor of the nasal secretions is no doubt due to the presence of certain 

 bacteria, whatever may be the relation of these to tbe morbid process which 

 gives rise to the chronic discharge. (See Bacillus fcetidus ozaenas of Hajek.) 



CYSTITIS. 



Various species of bacteria have been found in the urine in cases 

 of cystitis, and it appears probable that some of these are directly or 

 indirectly concerned in keeping up the vesical inflammation in 

 chronic cases of this disease. Whether any one of the species found 

 is capable of producing cystitis when introduced into the healthy 

 bladder is uncertain. On the other hand, we have rather numerous 

 observations which show that there may be bacteriuria without cys- 

 titis. Thus Schottelius and Reinhold report a case of heart disease 

 in which certain bacilli were found in the urine in considerable 

 numbers, and in a pure culture, during the entire time that the 

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