STAPHYLOLYSIX 623 



50 c.c. of culture. An animal inoculated with the precipitate recovered from 

 140 c.c. of culture survived for a week. 



2. The alcoholic solution was separated by filtration from the albuminoid 

 precipitate and evaporated in vacuo ; it gave a residue which was dissolved 

 in water. 



Two dogs weighing 9 kg. each did not succumb after the intra- venous inoculation 

 of doses of this solution corresponding to 200 c.c. and 500 c.c. of culture. A dog 

 weighing 10 kg. succumbed to an inoculation representing 210 c.c. of culture after 

 suffering from a generalized anaesthesia, loss of reflexes and finally stoppage of the 

 heart and respiration. 



The rabbit is less susceptible. It never succumbed rapidly to the inoculation 

 of the material soluble in alcohol. One animal survived the inoculation of a dose 

 representing 85 c.c. of culture for 20 days. 



The authors concluded that the substances soluble in alcohol (toxin 2) on 

 the one hand and those insoluble in alcohol (toxin 1) on the other separately 

 injected are more toxic than the mixture : that these two groups of sub- 

 stances are in fact antagonistic to and partially neutralize each 9ther. The 

 feeble toxicity of the products obtained by Rodet and Courmont is of con- 

 siderable interest and the experiments are worth repeating. 



IV. Mosny and Marcano obtained cultures in broth which after nitration 

 killed rabbits in a few seconds when inoculated intra-venously in doses of 

 10 c.c. In doses of 1-2 c.c. the nitrate produces cachexia terminating in 

 death in 5-6 weeks. Animals which survive the inoculation of toxin never 

 exhibit any immunity against the Staphylococcus pyogenes. 



Leucocidine. Van de Velde by inoculating a culture of the staphylococcus 

 into the pleural cavity of a rabbit obtained an exudate rich in degenerated 

 white cells. This exudate mixed with normal leucocytes rapidly destroyed 

 the latter. It contained a substance, leucocidine, which behaved as a soluble 

 ferment and was destructive to white cells. This substance is not a product 

 of reaction of the organism because it is produced in cultures (Bail). 



Staphylolysin. Neisser and Wechsberg have demonstrated the presence of 

 an hsemolysin in cultures of the staphylococcus. If a drop of rabbit's blood 

 be added to a culture of the staphylococcus in broth (either filtered or un- 

 filtered) it will be found that after standing in the ice-chest for a few hours 

 the blood is completely hsemolyzed. 



The best method of preparing the hsemolysin is as follows : Sow a distinctly 

 alkaline broth (add one-third of the quantity of alkali necessary to make the broth 

 alkaline to phenol-phthalei'n) with a staphylococcus and incubate for 12 days. Filter 

 and add a little carbolized glycerin to the filtrate to ensure its keeping. The filtrate 

 must also be kept in the ice-chest, as the haemolysin is destroyed in a few days at the 

 ordinary temperature of the laboratory and much more rapidly at 4856 C. Not 

 all strains of staphylococci produce an hsemolysin. : non-pathogenic staphylococci 

 are incapable of hsemolyzing blood (Otto). 



Small doses of haemolysin inoculated into rabbits sub-cutaneously cause a rise 

 of temperature and induration at the site of inoculation. If the inoculations be 

 repeated the serum becomes anti-hsemolytic. 



Normal human serum and normal horse serum both possess anti-haemolytic pro- 

 perties. 



4. Vaccination. 



[Human vaccination in staphylococcal infections. Since their introduction 

 by Wright the inoculation of killed organisms has been extensively adopted 

 and with much success in the prophylaxis and treatment of human staphy- 

 lococcal infections and especially of furunculosis, carbuncles, acne, sycosis, 

 chronic bronchitis, catarrh of the upper respiratory passages, etc. 



[The organism must be isolated from the particular lesion it is proposed 



