SYPHILITIC LESIONS WITH PUS MICROBES. 247 



found a bacillus in the smegma and secretions of the mucous mem- 

 branes of the external genital organs, which in shape and its reac- 

 tion to staining material proved identical with the bacillus described 

 by Lustgarten. Klemperer, from his own observations, came also 

 to the conclusion that the smegma bacillus resembled Lustgarten's 

 bacillus, that their identity appeared more than probable. Both 

 Tavel and Klemperer mention as a distinguishing feature between 

 the smegma bacillus and the bacillus of tuberculosis, that the 

 former is completely decolorized by washing the dried and stained 

 preparation for a minute and a half in a 33J per cent, solution of 

 nitric acid, and afterward for half a minute in absolute alcohol. In 

 specimens thus treated, the bacilli disappear, while the tubercle 

 bacilli similarly treated remain deeply stained. 



In September, 1885, Doutrelepont published his observations on 

 the smegma bacillus, wherein he corroborates Tavel's observations 

 (TavePs " Zur Geschichte der Smegmabacillen/' Centralblatt f. 

 Bact. u* Parasitenkunde, B. i., No. 23). 



Secondary Infection of Syphilitic Lesions with Pus microbes. 



Kassowitz and Hochsinger (" Ueber eineu Mikro-organismus in 

 den Gewheben hereditar syphil. Kinder," Wiener med. Blatter, 

 B. ix., 1886) reported during the early part of the year 1886 that 

 they had found, by means of a modification of Gram's method of 

 staining, a chain coccus in the contents of pemphigus bullse, the 

 bones, liver, pancreas, lungs, and thymus gland of five syphilitic 

 children who had died soon after birth. The microbes were found 

 within the vessels and the para vascular spaces ; the finer capillaries 

 were sometimes seen to be completely filled with .them. The cocci 

 were found in close contact with the red blood-corpuscles, but 

 never in their interior, or within other cells. They were only 

 found in organs in which syphilitic lesions could be detected by 

 naked-eye appearances, or by microscopical examination, and could 

 never be found in the same places in non-syphilitic children. 

 From the streptococcus of erysipelas these microbes differed as 

 they were found either within or in the immediate vicinity of 

 bloodvessels, and from the streptococcus pyogenes in that they did 

 not cause suppuration. The authors do not claim that this microbe 

 is the cause of syphilis, but look upon this discovery as an import- 

 ant episode in the study of syphilis. 



Kolisko has examined the bodies of numerous syphilitic children 

 who died one or two days after birth, and was unable to find this 

 streptococcus or any other microorganism. In one case in which 

 the child lived for fourteen days, and had suffered from furunculo- 

 sis, he found a streptococcus which he took for the streptococcus 



