PRINCIPLES OF VETERINARY SURGERY 117 



pulations would indicate that this bacterium is but a modi- 

 fied form of the golden coccus. It is of no special import- 

 ance in veterinary surgery. 



3. STAPHYLOCOCCUS EPIDERMIS ALBUS.— 

 This coccus is described by Welch as an habitual parasite 

 of the skin, in which structure it is often found as deep as the 

 Malpighian layer. Welch believes it to be an attenuated form 

 of the albus. Moore found it impossible to entirely rid the 

 skin of animals of pyogenic cocci and Robb refers to the de- 

 velopment of stitch abscesses from catgvit inserted into a 

 thoroughly disinfected skin. It is but feebly pathogenic and 

 only provokes disturbances under such potent predisposing 

 influences as stitch pressure. Its general characteristics are 

 similar to those of the aureus and albus, and it is cultivated 

 and stained by the same methods. The impossibility oi ob- 

 taining a universal immunity from stitch suppuration in vet- 

 erinary operations, points as forcibly as these experiments 

 to the existence of pus microbes in the deep layers of the 

 skin of animals. 



4. STAPHYLOCOCCUS PYOGENES CITREUS.— 

 This bacterium answers to the same general morphologic 

 description as the preceding forms. It differs from the au- 

 reus in that it forms a sulphur-colored pigment on the sur- 

 face of the agar-agar culture that does not, like the latter, 

 become orange-yellow. It is only feebly pathogenic, but will 

 produce abscess when inoculated subcutaneously into ani- 

 mals. It is much less important than the preceding. 



5. STREPTOCOCCUS PYOGENES.— "The confu- 

 sion which exists concerning streptococci and the variety of 

 antistreptococcic serums on the market, renders a summary 

 of the present knowledge concerning this group of bacteria 

 somewhat desirable." — Moore. It is very evident that there 

 is no satisfactory classification of the many species of strep- 

 tococci that are known to exist, and that the exact role of 



