CHAPTER IX 

 CATARRHAL INFLAMMATION 



Micrococcus Cataeehalis (Seifert) 



General Characteristics. — A small, slightly ovoid, non-motile, non-sporulating, 

 non-flagellated, non-liquefying aerobic and optionally anaerobic, non-chromo- 

 genic coccus, pathogenic for man, and not for the lower animals, cultivable upon 

 the ordinary media, staining by the ordinary methods, but not by Gram's method. 



This micro-organism, which seems to be closely related to the 

 staphylococci, was first observed, in sections of the lung of a case of 

 influenza, by Seifert.* It was successfully cultivated in 1890 by 

 Kirchnerf from 10 cases of an influenza-like affection. It has since 

 been frequently demonstrated in the exudates from various in- 



Fig. 144. — Micrococcus catarrhalis in smear from sputum (F. T. Lord; photo by 



L. S. Brown). 



flammatory conditions of the respiratory tract and conjunctiva, 

 and seems to be a not uncommon organism of superficial inflamma- 

 tions. It is a rather troublesome organism, causing some confusion 

 because of its disposition to occur in pairs, which gives it a close 

 resemblance to the pneumococcus except in cases in which the cap- 



* " Volkmann's klin. Vortr.," Nr. 240. 

 f'Zeitschr. f. Hyg.," Bd. 9. 

 400 



