3i8 Suppuration 



purulent and septicemic disturbances — erysipelas, cellulitis, phleg- 

 mons, osteomyelitis, puerperal infection, pseudo-membranous angina, 

 phlebitis, salpingitis, meningitis, endocarditis, etc. 



Berson points out that they are secondary agents of importance 

 in all pathological conditions of the throat of whatever nature. 



Hektoen found them to be the most frequent complicating or- 

 gainsm in scarlatina and Councilman the most frequent complicating 

 organism in variola. 



The suppurative conditions for which streptococci are held to be 

 responsible, differ from those caused by staphylococci in being more 

 rapidly spreading, more locally destructive, and more prone to 

 generalized infection or septicemia. 



' Morphology. — The organisms are spheric, of variable size (0.4-1 11 

 in diameter), and are constantly associated in pairs or in chains of 

 from four to twenty or more individuals. Special varieties, known 

 as Streptococcus longus (chains of more than one hundred members) 



Fig. 106. — Streptococcus colonies on serum agar (From Hiss and Zinsser, 

 "Text-Book of Bacteriology," D. Appleton & Co., Publishers). 



and Streptococcus brevis (chains of from four to ten), have been 

 described by v. Lingelsheim, * but do not hold as separate species. 



The streptococcus is not motile has no flagella and does not form 

 spores. 



Staining. — The organisms stain well with ordinary aqueous 

 solutions of aniUn dyes and by Gram's method. 



Isolation. — The streptococcus can be isolated from pus contain- 

 ing it by plating or by the inoculation of a mouse or rabbit, from 

 whose blood it may easily be secured after death. 



Cultivation.- — The organism grows at both the room temperature 

 and that of incubation, its best and most rapid development being 

 at about 37°C. 



Colonies.^ — Upon gelatin plates very small, colorless, translucent 

 colonies appear in from twenty-four to forty-eight hours. When 

 superficial, they spread out to form flat disks about 0.5 mm. in 

 diameter. The microscope shows them to be irregular and granular, 

 to have a slightly yellowish color by transmitted light, and to have 

 * "Zeitschrift fur Hygiene," 1891, Bd. x, p. 331; 1892, xii, p. 308. 



