CHAPTER XXIII 



NONSPECIFIC INFLAMMATION AND SUPPURATION— THK 

 GENERA STREPTOCOCCUS AND STAPHYLOCOCCUS 



Inflammation. — Inflammation is an abnormal condition 

 of a tissue usually characterized by excessive redness, by 

 pain, by swelling and usually by fever. The redness is due 

 to the engorgement of the capillaries vrith blood, the swell- 

 ing to the extrusion from the blood vessels of blood serum 

 or plasma and the pain or pressure upon nerve endings. 

 Inflammation may be produced in a variety of ways in the 

 bodies of man and animals. ■ It sometimes results from 

 physical injuries. A burn or excessive exposure of the skin 

 to bright light will lead to inflammation. The injection of 

 certain chemicals will likewise product inflammation. There 

 are also many species of bacteria which when growing in the 

 tissues of the body will bring about inflammation. These 

 bacteria probably bring about the irritation necessary to 

 cause inflammation because of their injurious effect upon 

 the cells either directly or through the formation of various 

 poisonous substances. 



Inflammation may be regarded as a protective device on 

 the part of the body. When microorganisms gain access to 

 tissues and give rise to inflammation, the changes incident 

 to this process may prevent them from spreading to other 

 parts of the body. The manner in which this is accom- 

 plished will be discussed below. 



Suppuration. — Suppuration or pus production occurs 

 when certain organisms are growing in tissues and causing 

 localized inflammation. For example, when -the so-called 

 pyogenic or pus-producing bacteria in some way penetrate 



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