56 MICIIO-ORGANISMS AND DISEASE [CHAP. 



of large numbers of micrococci, having the same appearance 

 as those found in the pus. A small quantity of the mass was 

 mixed with sterilised water and injected into the peritoneal 

 cavity of some animals ; they died in a very short time of 

 acute peritonitis. The same fluid injected into the jugular 

 vein caused acute septicaemia and death ; but nothing abnormal 

 was found in the bones in either case. Dr. Becker then in- 

 jected a small quantity of the same fluid into the jugular vein 

 of fifteen rabbits, after having, some days before, fractured or 

 bruised the bone of one of the hind legs. On the day after 

 the injection, weakness and loss of appetite were noticed ; but 

 after a short time the symptoms passed away, and the animals 

 seemed to have recovered. At the end of the first week, how- 

 ever, a swelling formed at the seat of the bruise or fracture, 

 the animals lost llesh, and died after a few days. On dissection, 

 large abscesses were found around and in the bones, and in 

 several cases metastatic abscesses had formed in the lungs and 

 kidneys. Numerous colonies of micrococci were discovered in 

 the blood and pus of the animals upon which the experiments 

 were made. (Brit. Med. Journal, March 29, 1884.) 



13. Koch 1 described various kinds of micrococci inti- 

 mately connected with certain destructive (pyaemic) processes 

 in mice and rabbits, (a) Micrococcus of progressive necrosis in 

 mice, injecting into the ear of mice white mice, or better, 

 field mice putrid fluids, he observed a necrosis of the tissues 

 of the ear (skin, cartilage) starting from the point of inocula- 

 tion and gradually spreading on to the surrounding parts and 

 killing the animal in about three days. As far as the necrosis 

 reaches, the tissue is crowded with micrococci, chiefly in the 

 form of chains and zooglcea. The individual cells are spherical, 

 of about 0'0005 mm. in diameter. I may mention that I have 

 found a somewhat different micrococcus virulently active on 

 mice. I have inoculated a number of white mice subcutane- 

 ously in the tail with a small micrococcus cultivated through 

 several generations, and apparently derived from an artificial 

 cultivation in pork broth, but due to accidental contamination. 

 These micrococci, after having been cultivated in pork broth 

 through several generations, were used in infinitesimal doses 

 for the inoculation of the above mice. In two instances I 

 have seen that the inoculation was followed after two to three 

 days by purulent inflammation at the seat of inoculation, but 

 apparently not spreading beyond it. But as time went ou 



T Untersuchungen iiber die Aetiologie d. Wundinfections-Krankheiten, Lcijizig, 



1878. 



