312 MICRO-ORGANISMS AND DISEASE [CHAP. 



of the human mucous membrane, and in the case of the ex- 

 perimental guinea-pigs, at the seat of inoculation, and absorbed 

 by the system, produces the whole set of general disease 

 symptoms in the lung, liver, kidney, and nervous system, 

 associated with and characterising diphtheria ; the absence 

 generally of the bacilli from the circulation and all affected 

 organs, and their localised presence in the diphtheritic mem- 

 brane, suggests this already. From this it follows that if 

 the growth and multiplication of the bacilli in the diph- 

 theritic membrane could sufficiently early be prevented or 

 checked — by cautery or otherwise — the amount of the 

 poison would be small, and the disease would cease. Diph- 

 theria is then not a real infection but more of the nature of 

 intoxication. 



It has been asserted by various authors that a necrotic, 

 chronic, infective process observed in the mucous mem- 

 brane of the mouth and pharynx in fowls, calves, and pigeons 

 is intimately connected with human diphtheria ; but Loffler ' 

 has shown this is not the case, since these necrotic pro- 

 cesses are both as to the pathology and the microbe 

 altogether different diseases. 



Cats, however, have unquestionably been observed ^ to 

 suffer in connection with human diphtheria; in houses where 

 human diphtheria obtained, cats have been known either 

 antecedently, or coincidently, or subsequently to become ill ; 

 they appear to have some kind of throat illness and cannot 

 swallow ; as a rule, bronchial mischief is already noticed 

 early, and if the disease is protracted through several weeks, 

 as it generally is, they become much emaciated and die. 

 Q-a postmortem examination the lung is found to be full of 



' Mittheil. atts d. k. Gesiindh. , vol. ii. , p. 482. 



2 Dr. George Turner, Dr. Bruce Low, Dr. C. T. Renshaw, Dr. A. 

 Downes, Dr. Thursfield ; see the writer's Report in the Vohime of the 

 Medical Officer of the Local Government Board, 1889, p. 162. 



