BACTERIUM INFLUENZA 121 



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 5~o1ro"o mcn l n g 

 and rooVoo- to T5T151F inch wide. They require 

 oxygen for growth, which occurs on blood containing 

 media as fine dewdrop-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 

 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. No satisfactory method has as yet been devised 

 for specifically treating influenza patients with the 

 killed germs or their antitoxins, but it is perfectly 

 feasible to use bacterin treatment since the disease is 

 usually local. It is possible that no immunity exists 

 after influenza because of the confinement of the germs 

 at one place. Experiments now under way may result 

 in something helpful for this most annoying and some- 

 times serious disease. 



