272 BACTERIOLOGY. 



minute aggregations of small cells, the nuclei of which 

 stain intensely. Almost always evidences of progress- 

 ing necrosis can be seen about the centre of these cell- 

 accumulations. The normal structure of the cells of 

 the tissues is more or less destroyed ; there is seen 

 a granular condition due to cell-fragmentation ; at dif- 

 ferent points about the centre of this area the tissue 

 appears cloudy and the tissue-cells do not stain read- 

 ily. Round about and through this spot are seen 

 the nuclei of pus-cells, many of which are undergoing 

 disintegration. In the smallest of these beginning ab- 

 scesses the micrococci are to be seen scattered about 

 the centre of the necrotic tissue ; but in a more advanced 

 stage they are commonly seen massed together in very 

 large numbers in the form commonly referred to as 

 emboli of micrococci. 



When the process is well advanced, the different parts 

 of the abscess are more easily detected. They then pre- 

 sent in sections somewhat the following conditions : at 

 the centre can be seen a dense, granular mass which 

 stains readily with the basic aniline dyes, and when 

 highly magnified is found to be made up of micro- 

 cocci. Sometimes the shape of this mass of micro- 

 cocci corresponds to that of the capillary in which the 

 organisms became lodged and developed. Immediately 

 about the embolus of cocci the tissues are in an advanced 

 stage of necrosis. Their structure is almost completely 

 destroyed, although the destruction is seen to be more 

 advanced in some of the elements of the tissues than in 

 others. As we approach the periphery of this faintly 

 stained necrotic area it becomes marked here and there 

 with granular bodies, irregular in size and shape, which 

 stain in the same way as do the nuclei of the pus-cells 



