BACTERIUM INFLUENZA 403 



This organism has not been found outside of the human 

 body. In the influenza patient it is present in the catarrhal 

 secretions, bronchial mucous membrane, and the -diseased 

 lung-tissues. It may be demonstrated microscopically in 

 the mucus by cover-slip preparations made in the usual 

 way and stained with diluted carbol-fuchsin, referred to 

 above. In the tissues it may be demonstrated in sections 

 stained in the same solution. In the sputum the bacteria 

 are found as masses and as scattered cells. (See Fig. 76.) 

 They are also found within the bodies of leukocytes, espe- 

 cially in the later stages of the disease when convalescence 

 has set in; at this time they appear as very small, irregular, 

 evidently degenerated bacteria within white blood-corpuscles. 

 They are also present in the nasal secretions. 



At autopsies it is advisable to cut out pieces of the diseased 

 tissue about the size of a pea or a bean, break them up in 

 a small quantity of sterile water or bouillon, and make the 

 cultures from this infusion. By this procedure two advan- 

 tages are gained: first, a dilution of the number of bacteria 

 present; and, secondly, the tissue furnishes the amount of 

 hemoglobin necessary for the growth of the organism. Under 

 these circumstances it is, of course, not necessary to make 

 a further addition of blood to the culture-medium. 



The only animal that has been found susceptible to 

 inoculation with this organism is the monkey. By intra- 

 tracheal injection Pfeiffer succeeded in causing a toxic 

 condition that proved fatal. He does not regard the death 

 of the animals as due to general infection, but rather to 

 intoxication. The disease, as seen in man, has not been 

 reproduced in animals. 



