Upon the Pseudo- Diphtheria , etc. 35 



Schiiltz (44) investigated the mixed infections in pul- 

 monary tuberculosis, and found in fifteen out of thirty 

 cases examined bacilli resembling the diphtheria bacillus. 

 On examining these cultures when grown on the differ- 

 ent culture media, he found an almost complete identity 

 with the Iy6fHer bacillus, though nearly every culture had, 

 on one or the other culture medium, a slight character- 

 istic, either in the form or size of the individuals, or of 

 the culture in general. Some of the cultures were found 

 to be pathogenic for guinea pigs. The lesions found 

 after death were injections around point of inoculation, 

 exudate into the internal body cavities, and hemorrhagic 

 condition of the adrenals. Other animals died after longer 

 intervals without any lesions indicative of diphtheria, 

 only cachexia with slight peritonitis. The remaining 

 cultures were found to be non-pathogenic. 



Ehret (45) reports on five cases of diabetic tuberculosis 

 in which he also found the pseudo-diphtheria bacillus. 



Auckenthaler (46) investigated the value of Neisser's 

 method of staining in the diagnosis of diphtheria. He 

 found that whenever LofHer bacilli were present in the 

 cultures it was always possible to demonstrate the polar 

 granules by Neisser's method. He believes it would be 

 better to allow ten to [fifteen seconds for the operation of 

 the methylene-blue stain, in preference to one to three sec- 

 onds as recommended by Neisser. He states, however, 

 that there are here and there cultures of LofHer bacilli in 

 which the polar granules did not appear, and in such in- 

 stances he advises the examination of a number of cover- 

 slip preparations. He found also isolated bacilli in pseudo- 

 diphtheria-bacillus cultures which contained the polar 

 granules stained by Neisser's method. He advises in all 

 cases of doubt that cultures be made to determine the 

 production of acid or alkali in bouillon, preferably litmus 

 bouillon, and inoculation into animals, before a definite 

 diagnosis is made. 



