March 7, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



367 



Awiopsy.— Suppurative basilar menin- 

 gitis; abscess of left temporal lobe; puru- 

 lent exudate in lateral ventricles; healing 

 typhoid ulcers in ileum; acute splenic tu- 

 mor ; cloudy swelling of solid viscera ; mod- 

 erate diffuse arteriosclerosis ; chronic inter- 

 stitial nephritis. 



Histology .—Hhe organs show the usual 

 typhoid appearances. The wall of the 

 brain abscess shows a capsule, with puru- 

 lent exudate inside, and regenerative 

 changes outside; and with groups of short 

 blunt bacilli with rounded' ends, both inside 

 and outside the capsule. 



Bacteriology.— The cerebellar exudate 

 and the cerebral abscess both contain in 

 pure cultures an actively motile bacillus of 

 typhoid-like morphology, which from its 

 growth on differential culture media and 

 from its reactions with typhoid serum, and 

 the action of its specific serum on tjrphoid 

 and allied bacilli, is evidently Bacillus ty- 

 phosus. The same organism, together with 

 Bacillus coli communis, is also present, in 

 the liver and kidney; the lung contains 

 Staphylococcus pyogenes citreus; the blood 

 from the heart and the kidney is sterile. 



The Diplococcus scarlatincs: W. J. Class, 



M.D., Chicago, 111. 



The author gives a brief description of a 

 germ which he considers the etiologie fac- 

 tor of scarlet fever. This germ is a poly- 

 morphic coccus, visually occurring as a 

 large diplococcus. It stains with any of 

 the ordinary aniline stains, has no capsule 

 and no independent motion. It forms 

 small grayish-white colonies upon a special 

 medium devised by the author, consisting 

 of glycerine agar to which five per cent, of 

 garden earth has been added. It also 

 grows to some extent upon blood serum 

 and in bouillon. It is found in the throat 

 secretions, blood scales and urine of pa- 

 tients suffering from scarlet fever. It is 

 also found in certain cases of angina which 



are probably scarlatina sine eruption. 

 Control experiments have been made show- 

 ing that the germ is found practically only 

 in eases where contact with scarlet fever 

 patients can be traced. Swine, guinea- 

 pigs and mice are susceptible to the diplo- 

 coccus. In swine a disease characterized 

 by fever, a red rash and subsequent scal- 

 ing has been produced by Gradwohl 

 Jaques and the author. Organs from these 

 animals examined histologically by Le 

 Count showed the changes usually found 

 in fatal cases of scarlatina. Experiments 

 were made regarding immunity. These 

 showed that blood from a scarlet fever pa- 

 tient conferred immunity against the 

 Diplococcus scarlatincR. Guinea-pigs were 

 also immunized by means of blood serum 

 from a pig that had been injected with 

 gradually increased doses of the toxin. 

 The author gave the following reasons why 

 he considers this diplococcus to be the 

 causative factor of scarlet fever. (1) 

 Because the germ is invariably present in 

 cases of scarlatina. (2) Because it is a 

 decidedly pathogenic microorganism. (3) 

 Because with it a disease can be reproduced 

 in swine which closely resembles scarlet 

 fever. (4) Because blood serum from a 

 scarlet fever convalescent exerts an in- 

 hibitory effect upon the germ, whether in 

 the body or in culture. (5) Because the 

 germ grows in milk without producing any 

 change in the medium. (6) Because the 

 disease produced in mice and swdne is eon- 

 tagioiis. (7) Because the authors' find- 

 ings have been corroborated by reliable ob- 

 servers so often that errors of observation 

 can be excluded. In closing, the author 

 makes a plea that the germ be given a 

 thorough investigation, as he feels certain 

 that unprejudiced work will show the 

 truth of his statements. 



A Contribution to the Physiological Differ- 

 entiation of Pneumococcus and Strepto- 



