THE NOEMAL CONJUNCTIVA 45 



Opinions vary as to whether any increase of virulence in the 

 saprophytes xerosis and Staphylococcus is possible from the rise of 

 temperature due to the inflammatory process, the increased nutrition 

 of the part, and the symbiosis with pyogenie Bacteria ; and whether, 

 as a result, these saprophytes may become pathogenic, and play 

 some part in the further development of the inflammation. Gourfein 

 and Doret (Tliese de Geneve, 1905) state that the Bacillus xerosis 

 causes a more marked reaction in the cornea and anterior chamber of 

 a rabbit when it is got from an inflamed conjunctiva than when 

 obtained from a normal one. 1 



Pes reported having produced an inoculation oedema when using 

 B. xerosis and Staphylococcus, obtained from an acute conjunctivitis, an 

 observation which Bietti could not confirm. Bardelli found that 

 Staphylococci from the hyperaemic conjunctiva of cataract patients 

 after operation, were more virulent than those from a normal con- 

 junctiva. The experiments which I made with De Lieto-Vollaro 2 did 

 not confirm Bardelli's opinion. The possibility that such may be the 

 case cannot be denied, but the virulence varies within narrow limits. 

 Further research on these points is desirable. 



LITEEATUEE 



RESPECTING THE ORGANISMS PRESENT ON THE NORMAL CONJUNCTIVA, 

 ESPECIALLY THE XEROSIS BACILLUS. 



ACHENBACH, C., Ein Fall von schwerer Xerosis epithelialis usw. Berl. klin. Woch., 



1895, S. 517. 

 ALFIERI, La piu recente questione sulla natura del calazio. Arch, di Ottalm., 1895, 



XXIV, p. 77. 

 ALLESSANDRO, Sulla morfologia del bacillo della xerosi. II policlinico, 1998, VC 



und Arch, di Ottalm., 1898, VI, p. 145. 

 AXENFELD, Th., Beitrage zur Atiologie der Bindehautentziindungen. Bericht der 



ophthalm. Gesellsch. Heidelberg 1896,, S. 140. 

 Do., Uber die chronische Diplobazillen-Conjunctivitis. Zentralbl. f. Bakt., 1897, 



XXI, p. 5. 

 Do., Wie weit stimmen die sog. Xerosebazillen der Conjunctiva iiberein mit 



HoFMANN-LbFFLERschen Pseudodiphtheriebazillen des Kachens ? Berl. klin. 



Woch., 1898, Nr. 9 u. 24; Ergebnisse von LUBARSCH-OSTERTAG, 1901, VI. 



Suppl. 

 Do., Wieweit stimmen die sog. Xerosebazillen mit den HoFMANN-Lb'FFLERschen 



Pseudo-Diphtheriebazillen iiberein ? Berl. klin. Woch., 1898, und Munch. 



med. Woch., 1902. 



Do., ' Bakteriologie des Auges,' 1894-1900, in ' Ergebnissen,' von LUBARSCH- 

 OSTERTAG (Wiesbaden, Bergmann). 

 BABES, V-, Uber isoliert farbbare Anteile von Bakterien. Zeitschr. f. Hyg., 1889, 



V, S. 177. 



1 This is not an increase in virulence in the sense of producing a diphtheritic action. 



2 Arch, di OttaL, 1905, xii. 



