BACILLUS OF FRIEDLANDER 8 1 



Resistance. The pneumobacillus resists drying for a long time; an exposure 

 for i hour in a hot-air sterilizer at iooC. kills; in a moist state 60 to 7oC. for 

 J^ hour kills. When not surrounded by sputum or albuminous matter carbolic 

 acid (i per cent, to 5 per cent, sol.) and i : 1000 bichloride solution kill in a 

 few minutes. 



Toxin. Filtrates of bouillon cultures are toxic. 



Agglutinins are not found in the blood of infected patients, but may be pro- 

 duced by inoculation of animals with killed cultures; results are uncertain and 

 when an agglutinin is obtained it is specific for the particular strain of pneumo- 

 bacillus used to produce it, it does not agglutinate other pneumobacilli, conse- 

 quently agglutination tests are not of value in diagnosis. The same is true of 

 complement fixation tests. 



Friedlander's bacillus has been found the causative organism in pneumonia, 

 septicemia, pleurisy, pericarditis, peritonitis, meningitis, stomatitis, tonsillitis 

 and parotiditis. It can produce suppuration and abscess formation in many 

 parts of the body but it is seldom the cause of pneumonia and more rarely the 

 cause of septicemia, inflammation of endothelial tissues and suppuration. As 

 a secondary invader it may be found in the discharge from chronic suppurating 

 lesions, as gleet and otitis. 



Rabbits are somewhat resistant or immune to the pneumobacillus; guinea- 

 pigs and mice are susceptible when inoculated with virulent organisms, abscess 

 formation at the point of inoculation, septicemia and death in several days 

 follow. 



Different strains of Friedlander's bacillus show marked variations in viru- 

 lence; some are devoid of pathogenicity. For this reason and on account of 

 variations in their effect on carbohydrates, some observers hold that bacillus 

 Friedlander is the type of a group of closely allied organisms, some of which 

 are pathogenic and some non-pathogenic. Among these closely allied bacilli, 

 held by some to be typical Friedlander's and by others distinct entities, may be 

 mentioned Bacillus of Rhinoscleroma, which is the exciting cause of some cases 

 of chronic nasal catarrh, Bacillus Ozenae, which is the exciting cause of fetid 

 nasal catarrh, and Bacillus Lactis Aerogenes, found in air, dust, soil, water and 

 especially in milk. 



Diagnosis. When the pneumobacillus is the cause of mucous membrane 

 inflammations it is found in the surface exudate, it is present in the sputum when 

 the exciting cause of pneumonia, in the exudate of pleurisy, pericarditis and 

 peritonitis and in the pus of suppurating lesions. In the majority of cases 

 diagnosis can be made by examination of smears stained by Gram's method and 

 counterstained; occasionally culture for differentiation is necessary. 



