Upon the Pseudo- Diphtheria, etc. 23 



It has been isolated in other situations: for instance, 

 Neisser states that he found it in cases of vaginal discharge, 

 ulcers of the leg, etc. Kruse and Pasquale (16), in a case 

 of liver abscess following dysentery, found a bacillus which 

 they named bacillus clavatus, that appeared in every respect 

 to resemble the pseudo-diphtheria bacillus. It was non- 

 pathogenic for guinea pigs. Babes (17) found it in eight 

 cases of trachoma and in a case of gangrene of the lung. 

 Bass (18) found it in two cases of chronic liver disease 

 accompanied with disturbed vision, resembling hemoralo- 

 pie and xerosis conjunctivae. The xerosis bacillus was 

 isolated from the secretions of the conjunctival sac. 



Schanz (19) concludes, from the results of his investi- 

 gation, that the xerosis bacillus differs from the diphtheria 

 bacillus in lack of virulence, and that the occurrence of 

 the xerosis bacillus in healthy eyes may lead to diphtheria 

 in passing from the tear-ducts into the upper air passages, 

 where in some unknown manner it acquires virulence. 



Gerber and Podack (20) believe that it is not impossible 

 for the existence of some relationship between pseudo- 

 diphtheria bacilli and diphtheria bacilli, in cases of rhinitis 

 fibrosa. 



Peters (21) found that the differentiation between the 

 xerosis bacillus and the pseudo- and true diphtheria bacilli 

 cannot be made from their morphological and cultural 

 characters. He isolated sixteen cultures : six from cases 

 of true diphtheria, three from cases of endemic impetig- 

 inous eczema of the face, two from old cases of recurring 

 conjuctivitis granulosa,*and one each from cases of xerosis 

 conjunctivitis crouposa, pseudo-diphtheria of the nose, and 

 from the healthy mucous membrane of the nose. 



Spronck (22) sought to differentiate between the xerosis 

 and pseudo-diphtheria bacilli and Loffler bacilli by means 

 of antitoxin. He states that the antitoxin prevented the 

 reaction of true diphtheria bacilli, but that the xerosis 

 bacilli were still capable of producing local symptoms, 



