STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS 273 



by Sidney Martin, due to the M. pyogenes, var. aureus, a 

 large amount of an albumose and of a basic body was 

 extracted from the blood and spleen. The albumose 

 produced fever and wasting, and retarded the coagulation 

 of the blood. 



Leber extracted a crystalline body, which he termed 

 phlogosin, from cultures of the M. pyogenes, var. aureus , 

 and Brieger also obtained a crystalline base. 



The decomposition products of the action of the M . 

 pyogenes, var aureus, on egg-albumen are, according to 

 Emmerling, phenol, indole, and skatole, many volatile 

 and non -volatile acids, betaine, and trimethylamine. 



Anti-serum. Attempts have been made to prepare an 

 anti-serum by the injection of cultures, but the serum is of 

 no practical value. A vaccine prepared by heating a 

 suspension of an agar culture to 65 C. for half an hour 

 and standardising has been used with much success in 

 chronic staphylococcic infections, such as acne and boils. 



Micrococcus (Staphylococcus) pyogenes, var. albus, and 

 var.citreus. Micrococcus epidermidis. Micrococcus 

 cereus 



These organisms are of rarer occurrence than the pre- 

 ceding one. In morphology and cultural characteristics 

 the first two agree with the Micrococcus pyogenes, var. 

 aureus, except that the albus produces a white, shining, 

 porcelain-like growth, and the citreus a lemon-yellow 

 growth, on agar. They are said to be less pathogenic 

 than the aureus, and are only occasionally found alone, 

 being usually associated with the aureus. Cheyne, how- 

 ever, states that in his experience the albus is more virulent 

 than the aureus, and mixed infections with the aureus are 

 regarded as more severe than infection with the aureus 

 alone. The albus has bee a found in some cases of pan- 



M.B. 18 



