Diagnosis of Influenza 645 



is in exact harmony with the familiar clinical observation 

 that, instead of an individual remaining immune after an 

 attack of influenza, he is quite as susceptible as before. 



A. Catanni, Jr.,* trephined rabbits and injected influenza 

 toxin into their brains, at the same time trephining control 

 animals, into some of whose brains he injected water. The 

 animals receiving 0.5-1 mg. of the living culture died in 

 twenty-four hours with all the nervous symptoms of the dis- 

 ease, dyspnea, paralysis beginning in the posterior extremities 

 and extending over the whole body, clonic convulsions, stiff- 

 ness of the neck, etc. Control animals injected in the same 

 manner with water, and with a variety of other pathogenic 

 bacteria never manifested similar symptoms. The viru- 

 lence of the bacillus increased rapidly when transplanted 

 from brain to brain. 



Diagnosis of Influenza. Wynekoop f employs for diag- 

 nosticating influenza and isolating the bacillus, a culture 

 outfit similar to that used for diphtheria diagnosis, except 

 that the serum contains more hemoglobin. The swab is 

 used to secure secretions from the pharynx and tonsils, and 

 from the bronchial secretions of patients with influenza, then 

 rubbed over the blood-serum. In many such cultures 

 minute colonies corresponding to those of the influenza 

 bacillus were found. Those most isolated were picked up 

 with a wire and transplanted to bouillon, from which fresh 

 blood-serum was inoculated and pure cultures secured. 



Carbol-fuchsin was found most useful for staining the 

 bacilli. Wynekoop observed that influenza and diphtheria 

 bacilli sometimes coexist in the throat, and that influenza 

 bacilli are present in the sore eyes of those in the midst 

 of household epidemics of influenza. 



* " Zeitschrift fur Hygiene," etc., 1896, Bd. xxm. 

 t " Bureau and Division Reports," Department of Health, city of 

 Chicago, Jan., 1899. 



