BACTERIUM INFLUENZA 131 



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 agglu- 

 tination 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 MOJITO ' mcn l n g 

 and TTRTO o u to TTO o"o inch wide. They require oxygen 

 for growth, which occurs on blood-containing media 

 as fine dewdr op-like colonies. Their general bio- 

 logical characters offer fine details not needed here. 

 They require body heat, 37.5 C. or 98 F., for devel- 

 opment, 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 

 pathogenic. Rabbits and monkeys, if injected into 

 the vein with a pure culture exhibit very quickly signs 

 of an intoxication, which rapidly passes away. Mon- 

 keys may get an acute cold by the direct application 

 of the bacilli to the abraded mucous membrane of the 

 nose. For the treatment of acute influenza! colds 

 there is no practicable specific therapy by the use of 



