BACTERIUM INFLUENZA 119 



secretions from the nose, mouth, and lungs. All excretion 

 should be received into carbolic acid solution, and the mouth 

 and nose frequently douched with a mild antiseptic. The 

 nurse and members of the family should use care with the 

 nose and mouth in frequent rinsing with weak antiseptics, 

 such as hydrogen peroxide. For diagnosticating this disease 

 smears and cultures are made from some of the glistening 

 mucus at the back of the throat or a good specimen of sputum 

 coughed from the lungs. The smears on slides are stained 

 with appropriate dyes. Under the microscope the delicate 

 rods are found in pairs on end, lying in groups or within the 

 pus and epithelial cells. In cultivating these organisms media 

 containing whole blood or blood coloring matter, hemoglobin, 

 must be used. They will not grow in the absence of the latter, 

 and the colonies upon solid media containing it are rather 

 characteristic. During an attack the bacteria produce some 

 agglutinins in the blood and the agglutination or clumping 

 test may be used with them. This is not highly practical 

 and seldom used. 



The influenza organism is a very minute rod with pointed 

 or round ends and commonly lying in pairs with their ends 

 together. They do not move nor form spores. They measure 

 about 50000 inch long and TToVoo to 75000 inch wide. 

 They require oxygen for growth, which occurs on blood- 

 containing media as fine dew drop-like colonies. Their general 

 biological characters offer fine details not needed here. They 

 require body heat, 37.5 C. or 98 F., for development, and 

 are killed at 50 C. or 122 F. for ten minutes; 60 C. or 

 142 F. kills at once. They die in twelve hours if dried in 

 sputum, but may live without multiplication for several 

 days in moist sputum at ordinary temperature. Five per 

 cent, carbolic acid kills them in well-mixed sputum in 

 five minutes. For animals this bacterium is not very patho- 

 genic. Rabbits and monkeys, if injected into the vein with a 

 pure culture exhibit very quickly signs of an intoxication, 

 which rapidly passes away. Monkeys may get an acute cold 



