CONJUNCTIVITIS 131 



disease is mild, producing only a little local pain, slight fever, 

 and malaise. The disease may coexist with diphtheria, aggra- 

 vating the latter. The bacteria gain admission by direct 

 transfer from a patient to the unaffected throat. The con- 

 dition is not very contagious. Disinfection should be ob- 

 served by frequent cleansing of throat and mouth by mild 

 antiseptics. Rinse water and cloths used to wipe the mouth 

 may be rendered innocuous by any practical disinfectant 

 working for half an hour. Little is known of the method of 

 action of the bacteria. They probably produce the condition 

 by soluble poisons. In diagnosticating Vincent's angina a 

 smear from the false membrane stained with particular care 

 will show long fusiform rods with sharp ends, taking the dye 

 more deeply at the ends and in the form of transverse bands, 

 and quite long, wavy, spiral organisms, usually having 

 shallow, irregular curvatures. The bacilli are ^yoT to 



inch long and 2 oooo to 30 Q 00 inch wide. They probably 

 grow best under anaerobic conditions. There is no specific 

 treatment. 



CONJUNCTIVITIS. 



There are many bacteria capable of producing inflamma- 

 tions of the conjunctival sac, but there are a few that seem 

 peculiar in being found only in this place. Whether they are 

 separate species or not remains to be seen. The most impor- 

 tant mild inflammation of the conjunctiva is the "pink 

 eye." This acute condition is transmitted by direct or 

 indirect passage of moist infective material from one patient 

 to another. Therefore an affected eye should be kept covered 

 and dressings handled carefully The organisms are killed 

 by very weak solutions of the ordinary disinfectants, and, 

 indeed, probably do not resist boric acid very long. The 

 causative germ is the Koch- Weeks bacillus of conjunctivitis. 

 It is similar in size, shape, and staining properties to the 

 influenza bacillus, but differs from it in that it will grow in 

 the absence of hemoglobin, and with reasonable ease on 



