76 



IV.— OBSERVATIONS ON THE DISTRIBUTION AND 

 SEROLOGICAL CHARACTERS OF INFLUENZA BACILLI. 



By W. M. Scott, M.D. 



PAGE 



Scope of Enquiry ...... .--76 



Material ......... 77 



Technique ......... 77 



Frequency of Influenza Bacilli 



in Pneumonia, &c. ..-...--78 

 in the normal Nasopharynx - - - - - - 79 



in Influenza .........79 



Association with Pneumococci ....... 80 



Serological Reactions - - - - - - - - 8 1 



Agglutination - - - - - - - - - 81 



Absorption of Agglutinin ....... 83 



Distribution of the Commoner Antigenic Components — 



in Pneumonia, &c.- - - • - - - -85 



in the normal Nasopharyngeal Strains - - - - 86 



in Influenza ........ 87 



The Question of Epidemic Types - - • - - - 87 



Discussion ..........88 



Conclusions ..........89 



Scope of Enquiry. 

 The objects of the enquiry are — 



(1) to determine the frequency with which influenza bacilli 

 are to be found in the sputum or in the lung post mortem of 

 patients suffering from respiratory inflammations (lobar pneu- 

 monia, catarrhal pneumonia bronchitis, influenza, &c.) and to 

 compare this with their occurrence in the respiratory mucosa of 

 normal persons ; 



(2) to investigate the serological reactions of the strains 

 isolated from these various conditions; and 



(3) to come to some conclusion from these data as to the 

 pathogenic importance of the influenza bacillus. If it can be 

 shown that particular morbid processes are associated with 

 particular serological types of this bacillus, or that the spread 

 of infection is associated with the prevalence in the respiratory 

 passages of a particular type, a positive answer and useful 

 epidemiological information will be furnished. If, on the other 

 hand, it appears that the serological types of this organism are 

 indefinite in character and incapable of correlation with disease, 

 the result of the enquiry will be negative. 



