232 BACTERIOLOGY. 



weight. The condition of progressive emaciation just 

 mentioned is conspicuously seen after intravenous inoc- 

 ulation of rabbits with cultures of bacillus typhosus and 

 of bacillus coli, referred to in the chapter on the latter 

 organism, and if looked for will doubtless be seen to fol- 

 low inoculation with other organisms capable of producing 

 chronic forms of infection, but which are frequently con- 

 sidered non-pathogenic because of their inability to induce 

 acute conditions. Not infrequently in chronic infections 

 there may be hardly any marked and constant temperature- 

 variations until just before death, when sometimes there 

 will be a rise and at other times a fall of temperature. 

 In the majority of cases, however, one must be very 

 cautious as to the amount of stress laid upon changes 

 in weight and temperature, for unless they are progres- 

 sive or continuous in one or another direction they may 

 have little or no significance as indicating the existence 

 or absence of disease. 



