90 SUPPURATION. 



arrested further growth. A solution absolutely free from microbes, 

 injected under the skin of animals, according to strength and quan- 

 tity used, produced cauterization or inflammation, terminating in 

 suppuration or inflammatory oedema, followed by resolution and 

 absorption. The pus produced by cadaveriu contained no bacteria 

 as long as the skin remained intact. The injection of a mixture of a 

 solution of cadaverin and pus-microbes caused a progressive phleg- 

 monous inflammation. 



Scheuerlen (" Weitere Untersuchungen liber die Entstehuug 

 der Eiterung, ihr Verhaltniss zu den Ptomaiuen und zur Blutgeriu- 

 nung," Mittheilungen cms der Chirwgischen Klinik der Koniglichen 

 Universitdt. Berlin, Dritter Theil. 1887) has on a previous occasion 

 shown that croton oil, turpentine, and other irritants cannot produce 

 suppuration. In all cases in which pus was produced by any of 

 these agents it contained bacteria. He, therefore, takes it for 

 granted that pus can only be produced by microorganisms. How 

 this is done is difficult to prove. The action of pus-microbes upon 

 the tissues must be either physical or chemical. The action of 

 ptomaines on the living tissues was studied by Pauum as early as 

 1856, and later by Bergmann and his scholars. Recently this sub- 

 ject has been studied in a systematic manner by Brieger. Scheuer- 

 len was the first to study their local effects. He introduced into 

 the subcutaneous connective tissue of rabbits aseptic glass capsules 

 containing sterilized putrid infusion of meat ; the wounds were 

 treated under the strictest antiseptic precautions, and healed by 

 primary union. After the wound was healed, he broke off subcu- 

 taneously both ends of the glass capsule, so as to bring the fluid it 

 contained into contact with the tissues. Three to six weeks after 

 implantation of the capsule the parts were incised and examined. 

 The ends of the capsule were always found to contain a few drops 

 of thin yellow pus, which, under the microscope, showed all the 

 characteristic appearances of this fluid. The surrounding tissues 

 were not affected. Cultivation experiments yielded negative results. 

 When the capsules were broken, the ptomaines came in contact 

 with the leucocytes which had accumulated around the foreign 

 body, and by their local toxic effects transformed them into pus 

 corpuscles, while no evidences of local infection were present, which 

 shows conclusively that the transformation of the leucocytes into 

 pus corpuscles was accomplished by the ptomaines. In about 

 twenty experiments the pus was found only inside the capsule. In 

 the cases in which the tube had been implanted for eight weeks, 

 the conditions remained the same. Weigert has repeatedly shown 

 that the difference between a purulent and fibrinous exudation can 

 be readily demonstrated, as the former does not coagulate, although 



