THE CORNEA 327 



identified with the European, but Herbert's results should stimulate 

 similar search for intra-epithelial bacilli in the early stages of the 

 affection in Europe. 



Nuel 1 has since pronounced the hyaline spirals to be derived from 

 bacilli, and emphasizes their similarity to cilia (twisted cast-off flagellse 

 of bacteria). This contention cannot be accepted. In another case of 

 punctiform infiltrations due to ammonia, he found granular masses 

 which corresponded to the opacity ; these he considered to be masses 

 of cocci. The bacterial nature of these appearances is not certain, 

 and Valude 2 is not justified in considering that the punctate infiltra- 

 tions which may develop and rapidly heal during a streptococcal 

 conjunctivitis are masses of Streptococci. 



The ulcus corneae rodens (Mooren), though resembling an infec- 

 tious process, has till now not shown any bacteria which signify. 

 The bacillus which Andrade 3 found in two cases (once with the Stapli. 

 pyog. aureus) is reminiscent of Subtilis, and has not been found by any 

 other observer. It was a spore-forming, motile, Gram-positive bacillus, 

 which liquefied blood-serum and gelatine, formed a thick white scum 

 on agar, a diffuse cloudiness in bouillon ; it caused a transient infiltra- 

 tion in the cornea of the rabbit, passing off without suppuration. 



De Berardinis (Ann. Hi Ottal., 1906, xxxv., p. 835) cultivated a 

 pyogenic tetragenus, which, however, could only have been a secondary 

 infection, as it was not found in other cases (cf. Hilleman's A.f. A., 

 1896), where the ordinary pus-forming organisms were present. 



Keiper, D. G. Levy, F. R. Spencer (Amer. Jour, of Ophth., 1896, 

 xxiii., p. 176) have cultivated an organism which resembled the Zur 

 Nedden bacillus from cases of keratitis dendritiea. They found 

 short bacilli, mostly in pairs, non-motile, Gram-negative, growing on 

 all media as greyish-white, round colonies, and not liquefying either 

 gelatine or blood-serum. In gelatine stab culture they formed a flat- 

 headed nail growth. There was no gas formation, and no spores 

 developed ; they were not pathogenic for the rabbit's cornea. 



That this bacillus is the cause of keratitis dendritiea is not proved. 

 In other cases examined by Uhthoff and Axenfeld the result was nega- 

 tive or indifferent (xerosis) ; in one case, where a dendritic keratitis 

 passed on to a hypopyon-keratitis, large numbers of aureus were found 

 in the cornea. This was certainly a secondary pyogenic infection. 



We have no information certainly pointing to a micro-parasitic 



1 See notes * and 2 on preceding page. 



2 A. f. 0., 1900, xlix., p. 455. The whole literature is there given ; also see Haupt, 

 Inaug. Dissert., Bonn, 1902. 



:! Ann. di Ottal., 1900, xxix., p. 654. The literature is there given. 



