326 



BACTERIOLOGY OF THE EYE 



aniline stains were merely hinted at, and were only demonstrable on 

 account of their well-developed capsules. 



With the ordinary Gram's method they practically did not stain, 

 and it was only in overstained Gram preparations that they were 

 occasionally visible. Fig. 74 is drawn from such a preparation. The 

 bacilli lie quite irregularly in the protoplasm ; they are rather thick, 

 about 3 /i in length, and 1'5 /m in breadth ; there are no long fila- 

 ments. The form of the bacilli reminds us of the group of Fried- 

 lander's bacillus (B. mucosus capsulatus), to which the ozaena bacillus 



and the rhinoscleroma bacillus 

 belong ; they differ from this 

 group, however, in their stain- 

 ing and their cultures. The 

 etiological significance of these 

 bacilli for this keratitis punctata 

 superficialis is very probable, on 

 account of their large numbers 

 in the epithelium and the regu- 

 larity of their occurrence in 

 cases where only a few cells 

 filled with bacilli could be found, 

 even though cultures with the 

 most varied media and methods 

 have never yet been successful. 

 It was only to be expected, con- 

 sidering the superficial situation 

 of the lesion, that the ordinary 



saprophytes (xerose bacilli and Stapliylococci) would be also found 

 along with these capsulated bacilli. The bacilli can very readily be 

 overlooked on account of their difficulty of staining. On this 

 account, therefore, the fact that Nuel 1 did not describe any such 

 bacilli in his sections cannot be taken as certain proof of their 

 absence. As the anatomical cause of the opacity, Nuel described 

 peculiar networks of threads and spirals formed of hyaline fibrin, 

 which were grouped close together under Descemet's membrane, so as 

 to form corneal granules. It is quite possible that these formations 

 were produced by the intra-epithelial bacilli. 2 Such is the opinion of 

 Wehrli, 3 who microscopically demonstrated small inflammatory 

 nodules. I do not consider it certain that the Indian keratitis can be 



Fia. 74. HERBERT'S INTRA-EPITHELIAL 

 BACILLI FROM INDIAN KERATITIS PUNC- 

 TATA SUPERFICIALIS. GRAM OVER- 

 STAINED, b x 1,200. 



1 Arch. d'Ophth., 1894, xvi., p. 145 ; and 1896, xvi., p. 725. 



2 Ann. d'Ocul., 1897, 117. 3 K. M.f. A., 1906, Bd. xlvi, 2, p. 224. 



