1G24 SOCIÉTÉ DE BIOLOGIE 



less afFected by a lésion, may be very small, but a lésion just the same> 

 whose poAver of contamination bas been fairly demonstrated, meningo- 

 coccic i-biDO-pliaryngitis. Xhe laLter is the dominating and only épidé- 

 mie affection which sometimes turns into cerebro-spinal meningitis, 

 owing to the fact of temporary weakness of the organism. Few carriers, 

 therefore few méningites ; there is lieEe^such a iClose relation that it bas 

 been taken for an « épidémie index » ; that is to say, which is to indi- 

 cate the degree of epidemicity of a focus of infection observed and its 

 chances of later propagation. 



Action of the germ carriers. — If the carriers hâve been very few in 

 number. does this mean, as it has been assumed, that they bave played 

 no part in the propagation of wide-spread cerebro-spinal meningitis 

 infection? 



It is certain thaï the vsporadic way in which meningococcic rhino- 

 pharyngitis and meningeal infections ran their course made it difficult 

 Lo assume what link there was between the former and the latter. But 

 what has not been w itnessed does not mean that it does not exist. 



The following fact is in indisputable proof of it : In a small suburb 

 in the intermediale zone (zone des étapes) G cases of cerebro spinal 

 meningitis broke out in 2 days in a ballalion on rest « Spontaneous 

 and autochthoneous origin » said ail llie doctors who observed ail Lhese 

 ca«6s. A detailed inquiry braught out the followiQ.g facts : The week 

 before there arrived in the village, which was occupied by troops, a 

 family of refugees from invaded terri tory and in which a five year old 

 child had died a month before from cerebro s^pinal meningitis. This 

 family settled in a bouse already inhabited and occupied by several 

 soldiers. A few days after their arrivai one af Ihem presented the 

 phenomena of tingina which «light fevôr, which seemed quite uaual j 

 bacteriologicHl examinations showed very clearly the présence df 

 raeningococci in the rhino pharynx of the soldier infectedby tliis angina, 

 butalso in that ofa young girl belonging to this family of refugees and 

 wifch whom tlie soldier had quickly had a f e a- relations. As it was, the 

 first cases of meningitis broke out almost simultaneously in Ihis sol- 

 dier's company and in those of his friends he used to see every day. 



There is no doubt that the meningococous was brought by the young 

 girl who had picked it up from the 4ead child and thus created a new 

 meningococcuB carrier which is the late origin of tbieimeningi fis cases 

 which (Gccurred in the battalion. 



This example is not the only one wich was observed. SeveraJ times 

 I hâve been able to witness in certain instruction centers or division 

 dépôts the importation of me©! ngitiB after th-e arrivai of reinforcements 

 coiEûing from the interior and espeeially from places where meningitis 

 had occurred. In several cases the ibacteriological experiments hâve 



