STREPTOCOCCUS INVOLUTUS. 149 



lanceolatus and pyogenes, and at times the Micr. tetragenus lack a 

 common chara* teristic. x 



The organism is said to be found only in the meningeal pus, nasal 

 mucus, sputum, and urine of men who are affected with epidemic 

 cerebrospinal meningitis. Kecently, A. Schiff claims to have isolated 

 it from the nose of patients without meningitis (C. B. xxv, 437). C. 

 Frankel cultivated it from eyes apparently affected with diphtheria 

 (Z. H. xxxi, 221). Together with the Strept. intracellularis 

 there occur mixed infections by the Strept. pyogenes and Strept. 

 lanceolatus. Certainly at least a considerable portion of the cases of 

 cerebrospinal meningitis are caused by the Strept. lanceolatus alone. 



Regarding the cerebrospinal meningitis of domestic animals, conflicting 

 statements are also encountered ; here also it is possible that different 

 related infectious agents take part in the main epidemics. (Consult 

 Siedamgrotzky and Schlegel, C. B. xx, 694, and Schneidemuhl, C. B. 

 xxili, 892. ) It is interesting that Johne found in an epidemic disease 

 of horses an organism which Jager declared identical with the Strept. 

 intracellularis. The organism was pathogenic for guinea-pigs, horses, 

 and goats. ( Consult Councilman, Mallory, and Wright, Amer. Jour, 

 of Med. Sciences, March, 1898.— Ed.) 



Fig. 13. — Strept. involutus (from a photograph by Kurth); partly 

 schematic. 



Streptococcus involutus (Kurth). 



Synonym. — Streptococcus of foot-and-mouth disease. 



Literature by Kurth (A. G. A., Bd. vin, 1893, 439-465). 



Upon gelatin, etc., indistinguishable from the Strept. pyogenes; on 

 the contrary, bouillon which is rendered diffusely cloudy by some cul- 

 tures, and only presents a sediment with others, often contains cells 

 of strikingly elongated, vesicular, spindle form. No spontaneous 

 motion. 



Two especially striking characteristics are present in serum or serum 

 mixtures: 



1. In fluid serum or serum bouillon there develops in the upper 

 part of the tube a pale-yellow creamy layer, which upon microscopic 

 examination reminds one at first of anything else rather than micro- 

 organisms, but on further examination the following is learned: 



1 The following is said to be characteristic: Agar cultures after five to 

 six transfers cease to grow, and the organism generally does not grow 

 on cow's serum. 



