WOUND INFECTION 87 



cholera, and Bacillus pyocyaneus the growth in such vitreous was less 

 vigorous than in bouillon, a conclusion which was confirmed by 

 Possek. On the other hand, in the vitreous of the living" eye 

 many Bacteria multiply and develop a very severe inflammatory 

 reaction ; although in other parts of the eye they may, in similar 

 quantities, remain encapsuled, or at least have a very much 

 less severe reaction. The action of the pus-forming organisms is 

 especially vigorous and their development enormous. -This can be 

 observed microscopically in wounded eyes, or better in those with metas- 

 tatic infections, in which latter, for example, the whole vitreous 

 chamber may be filled up with masses of Streptococci. Injections 

 of vitreous fluid are very useful in exalting the virulence of attenuated 

 pyogenic organisms. In such cases trial sub-inoculations must be 

 made early, as a secondary diminution of virulence rapidly ensues. 

 Most Streptococci under these circumstances form specially long 

 chains. 



Small numbers of typhoid bacilli or cholera bacilli produce suppu- 

 ration in the vitreous, often with fatal general infection (Herrnheiser, 

 Axenfeld, A. f. O., 1894, xl., S. 57 ; Gillet de Grandmont and Gas- 

 parrini, Ann. d'Ottal., 1895, xxiv., p. 343). Similar results were 

 obtained by Sattler 1 in his examination of the Bacteria of lacrymal 

 abscess. He obtained B. prodigiosus, a saprophyte which in the 

 cornea only produced a feeble reaction, but in the vitreous caused a 

 suppuration, though certainly not progressive in nature. 



The special pathogenic action in the vitreous is only in a very slight 

 degree due to the low temperature in the anterior portion of the eye. 

 The nutritive value of the medium offered by the vitreous is very 

 striking. Not only normally is it poor in, or free from protective 

 bodies, but even when irritated (according to Wessely and Eomer) 

 such bodies do not immediately show themselves in it, as is the case 

 with the anterior chamber (further vide infra, p. 99). A defen- 

 sive power is only developed with the inflammation, especially with 

 the invasion of leucocytes, and in the meantime the Bacteria have 

 already enormously multiplied. The elimination of organisms from 

 the vitreous, too, is much more difficult than from the aqueous 

 chamber. 



This excessive reaction in the vitreous occurs to a very high degree 

 with many stems of Bacillus subtilis, which have practically no action 

 in the cornea, and are only slightly irritating in the anterior chamber, 

 but can produce a fulminating suppuration in the vitreous. As these 



1 ' Verhandl. der Ophth. Ges.,' Heidelberg, 1885, S. 18. 



