INFECTIVE INFLAMMATION. 77 



and then the intestine was temporarily rendered impermeable, the 

 animal died without exception of peritonitis. The same result fol- 

 lowed if the pus-microbes were injected directly into the circula- 

 tion, but not if they were introduced through the alimentary canal. 



Laruelle ("Etude bacteriologique sur les peritonites par perfora- 

 tion," La Cellule, T. V. Louvaiu, 1889) produced peritonitis artifi- 

 cially in dogs and rabbits, and from his observations came to the 

 conclusion that the localization of pus-microbes in the peritoneal 

 cavity is greatly favored by the action of chemical substances. 

 He believes that peritonitis is not produced by the specific microbe 

 described by Pawlowski. He claims that the microorganism dis- 

 covered by Pawlowski is the bacillus coli communis. 



Weichselbaum (" Der Diplococcus pneumonia als Ursache der 

 primaren, akuten Peritonitis,' 7 Centralblatt /. Bakteriologie, B. v. 

 No. 2) found in three cases of acute peritonitis the diplococcus of 

 pneumonia and no pus-microbes. In one case the peritonitis was 

 complicated with pneumonia, in the second case it was followed by 

 double pleuritis, and in the third case the disease was doubtless 

 primary. 



Wegner (Archiv f. klin. Chirurgie, 1877) has shown by his ex- 

 periments that a great variety of fluids free from septic germs, 

 such as water, bile, urine, blood, etc., can be injected into the peri- 

 toneal cavity of rabbits without any serious results following. 

 Even large quantities of unfiltered air proved innocuous when in- 

 troduced in the same manner. Putrescible fluids when injected in 

 small quantities were rapidly absorbed without producing perito- 

 nitis, but when the quantity injected was large and insufflation of 

 air, unfiltered, was practised at the same time, putrefaction and 

 death from septic intoxication occurred. 



Grawitz (Virchow's Archiv, B. cviii.) proved that saprophytic 

 bacteria, when injected into a normal peritoneal cavity, were 

 promptly destroyed and absorbed. In cases in which the injection 

 was made into a peritoneal cavity which had previously undergone 

 alterations by injury or disease, or in which the quantity of fluid 

 was too great for rapid absorption, symptoms of intoxication, as 

 described by Wegner, resulted, but these symptoms were unaccom- 

 panied by suppurative peritonitis. A healthy peritoneal cavity 

 has also been found capable of disposing of a limited quantity of 

 pure cultivations of pus-microbes, the germs being removed by 

 absorption and destroyed in the circulation. Bnt when pyogeuic 

 organisms are introduced into an abdominal cavity, where the 

 absorptive powers of the peritoneum have been diminished or sus- 

 pended by antecedent pathological conditions, suppurative perito- 

 nitis is the usual result. When pus-microbes are introduced in 

 large quantities, even into a healthy peritoneal cavity, the pre- 



