THE MICROBES OF HUMAN DISEASES. 221 
minute, remain on the surface of the false membranes, 
more rarely within them, and on the surface of the 
inflamed mucous membrane. 
Lofiier undertook experiments in culture and 
inoculation which confirm Klebs’ opinion. He suc- 
ceeded in isolating and cultivating separately the 
Microsporon, or micrococcus, and the bacillus, which 
makes it probable that these are two distinct species. 
The chaplets of micrococci, cultivated separately and 
used to inoculate animals, do not produce diphtheria ; 
the bacilli, on the other hand, cause the formation of 
false membranes, but do not exactly reproduce the 
diphtheria of the human subject. 
Cornil and Babes have likewise studied these two 
forms of microbes. They have ascertained that the 
bacilli are more generally found in the false mem- 
branes of the skin, and the micrococci in those of the 
throat and larynx. But in almost all cases they have 
found bacilli, zoogloea, and chaplets of micrococci 
associated together in the false membranes, even in 
those of the skin, and bacilli in those of the throat. 
Cornil and Mégnin have studied the spontaneous 
diphtheria of poultry and domestic quadrupeds. The 
anatomical lesions and the form of the microbes 
approximate to those of human diphtheria, and cases 
of contagion between the calf and man have been 
observed. Yet direct inoculation has failed, so that it 
is still impossible to affirm the identity of the two 
diseases. 
