168 PATHOGENIC BACTERIA 



The toxin of the colon bacillus is within its body, 

 no extracellular poison being formed. If one inject 

 the dead organisms into an animal in sufficient number, 

 mucous membrane irritation, paralyses, and convul- 

 sions may occur. Living bacilli introduced into the 

 peritoneum cause peritonitis and septicemia, the 

 organisms entering the blood stream. An abscess will 

 usually result if they are brought under the skin. In 

 man colon bacilli seldom go beyond the mucous 

 membrane of the intestine because of the resistance 

 offered by that tissue. After death the organisms 

 rapidly invade the different organs of the body. 

 Whenever the resistance of the body is reduced an 

 opportunity is presented for the spread of these 

 organisms. When sepsis occurs there is an inflammation 

 of the mucous membrane of the intestine, a swelling 

 of Peyer's plaques comparable to that seen in typhoid 

 fever. There may be inflammation of the gall-bladder, 

 the pelvis of the kidney, or abscesses in various parts 

 of the body. Cystitis may occur which may be a 

 part of a general infection, descend from the kidney, 

 or arise from introduction of the organisms through 

 the urethra. An ascending infection from the bladder 

 to the pelvis of the kidney and on into the substance 

 of the organ is not an uncommon disease process. 

 This frequently occurs in pregnancy or after labor. 



The inflammations of the gall-bladder and its 

 passages and of the liver may arise either from intro- 

 duction of bacilli up the common bile duct, or as a 

 part of colon bacillus septicemia. The peritonitis 

 seen after perforation of the intestines is the result of 

 manv kinds of bacteria of which the colon bacillus 



