684 A MANUAL OF BACTERIOLOGY 



as a sequela ; the latter is met with in all parts of the world, 

 particularly in times of war and famine, not amenable to ipecacu- 

 anha, and not followed by liver abscess. There are also probably 

 other forms occurring in small outbreaks or sporadically. 



Calmette in Tonkin isolated the B. pyocyaneus, and this organism 

 seems to have been the cause of a small outbreak in New York 

 State investigated by Lartigau. 1 In Japan, Ogata isolated a fine 

 Gram-staining, liquefying bacillus which does not seem to have 

 been met with by subsequent observers. Spirochaetes have been 

 found in large numbers in a form of dysentery occurring in 

 Bordeaux. 



Ulcerative colitis of asylums and institutions is a bacillary 

 dysentery. 



The Balantidium coli (p. 589) and certain parasitic worms may 

 also induce a dysenteric condition. 



SKIN DISEASES (see also pp. 573, 578) : Acne. In the acne 

 pustules, the M. pyogenes var. aureus, with or without var. albus, 

 is almost invariably present, and a staphylococcic vaccine 

 generally acts extremely well. In the comedoes a Gram -positive, 

 Hofmann-like bacillus (B. acnes] is present in considerable num- 

 bers, and may be the cause of the comedo. This organism was 

 cultivated by Fleming on a neutral agar to which glycerin and 

 oleic acid are added. Siidmersen and Thompson 2 cultivate it 

 on an acid ( -f- 40) serum -agar. The organism is anaerobic, at 

 least at first, and will grow in glucose- agar stabs. In culture the 

 organism is diphtheroid. A vaccine prepared with it is of service 

 in the comedo stage. 



Eczema is produced by the action of the pyogenic cocci (M. 

 pyogenes, var. aureus and albus). Virulent cultures of these 

 organisms, with or freed from their toxins, seem, however, to 

 produce an impetigo rather than eczema. But the filtered 

 cultures, i.e. toxins, are harmful to the skin, and when applied 

 to it for one or two days by means of moist warm pads a typical 

 papular or vesicular eczema ensues. Probably in the human 

 subject in addition to the micro-organisms some peculiarity in 

 the soil is necessary for the disease to develop. 3 In so-called 



1 Journ. Expcr. Med., vol. iii, No. 6, p. 595. 



2 Journ. ofPathol. and Bacterial, vol. xiv, 1910, p. 224. 



3 Whitfield, Practitioner, February 1904, p. 202. 



