CHAPTER XVI. 



Suppuration— The staphylococcus pyogenes aureus— Staphylococcus pyo- 

 genes albusand citreus— Streptococcus pyogenes— Bacillus pyocyaneus— Gen- 

 eral remarks. 



PfiEPAEE from the pus of an acute abscess or boil 

 that has been opened under antiseptic precautions a set 

 of plates of agar-agar. Care must be taken that none 

 of the antiseptic fluid gains access to the culture tubes, 

 otherwise its antiseptic effect may be seen and the devel- 

 opment of the organisms interfered with. It is best, 

 therefore, to take up a drop of the pus upon the plati- 

 num-wire loop after it has been flowing for a few sec- 

 onds; even then it must be taken from the mouth of 

 the wound and before it has run over the surface of the 

 skin. At the same time prepare two or three cover- 

 slips from the pus. 



Microscopic examination of these slips will reveal the 

 presence of a large number of pus-cells, both multi- 

 nucleated and with horseshoe-shaped nuclei, some 

 threads of disintegrated and necrotic connective tissue, 

 and, lying here and there throughout the preparation, 

 small round bodies which will sometimes appear singly, 

 sometimes in pairs, and frequently will be seen grouped 

 together somewhat like clusters of grapes. (See Fig. 

 54.) They stain readily and are commonly located in 

 the material between the pus-cells; very rarely they 

 may be seen in the protoplasmic body of the cell. 

 (Compare the preparation with a similar one made from 



