TEXT-BOOK OF BACTERIOLOGY. 317 



of the excretions just mentioned) are transformed into a decayed, 

 coagulated layer of exudate; we understand, likewise, why local 

 changes gradually affect the entire organism, the nervous system, 

 etc. 



But all this only disposes of a very small portion of the subject 

 matter. We have not yet ascertained (and it might be a task 

 worthy of continued investigation) how the bacteria enter the 

 body of man, in what manner they are transmitted from one in- 

 dividual to another, and whether they require a special preparation 

 of the mucous membranes before they can take root on them. 

 Loffler's observation may throw some light on the subject. He 

 found his bacilli, though only once, in the saliva of a healthy child — 

 a circumstance reminding us of Fraenkel's pneumonia bacteria. 



It is also a remarkable fact that the diphtheria bacilU hardly 

 ever appear alone in quite recent cases, but are usually associated 

 with streptococci which follow and support them in their attack 

 on the tissue. This mixed infection is surely significant for the 

 process of the disease. Many investigators even incline to the 

 opinion that the specially severe cases owe their malignant char- 

 acter essentially to these concomitant micro-organisms, the path- 

 ological efiiciency of which is well known. 



XVIII. BACILLUS OF RHINOSCLEROMA. 



Let us in this connection briefly consider another affection, even 

 though it is not closely related to the diseases above described. 

 Frequently in Austria- Hungary and Italy, and occasionally in Ger- 

 many, an affection is met with which is characterized by the de- 

 velopment of tubercular thickenings on the external skin, especially 

 by the formation of extensive swellings in the nares and, therefore, 

 called rhinoscleroma. Frisch first observed in the newly-formed 

 tissue, micro-organisms distinguishable from others by their shape 

 and distribution, which fact has been universally confirmed by 

 subsequent investigations. 



They are quite short, moderately broad rods with rounded ends, 

 resembling Friedlander's pneumococci, especially as they are like- 

 wise inclosed in a capsule. 



They readily absorb anilin stains and are accessible to Gram's 

 method, unlike Friedlander's bacteria. 



They are frequently found in large cells peculiar to this affection 

 (more minutely described \>y Mikulicz), which are hj^aline and with- 

 out nuclei; but not infrequently they lie free in the tissue and 

 within the lymphatic vessels. 



Faltauf, Eiselsberg, Dittrich, and others, have been able to cul- 



