372 PYOGENIC BACTERIA. 
ments made to determine the exact cause of pus formation following 
the injection of sterilized cultures Buchner arrives at the conclusion 
that it is due to the albuminous contents of the bacterial cells. 
While it is demonstrated that a large number of microérganisms, 
either living or in sterilized cultures, may give rise to the formation 
of pus, the extended researches of Rosenbach, Passet, and other 
bacteriologists show that few species are usually concerned in the 
formation of acute abscesses, furuncles, etc., in man. Of these the 
two most important, by reason of their frequent occurrence and path- 
ogenic power, are Staphylococcus pyogenes aureus and Strepto- 
coccus pyogenes; next to these comes Staphylococcus pyogenes 
albus, and the following species are occasionally found : Staphylo- 
coccus pyogenes citreus, Staphylococcus cereus flavus, Staphylococcus 
cereus albus, Micrococcus tenuis, Bacillus pyogenes fcetidus, Micro- 
coccus tetragenus, Micrococcus pneumonis croupose. Two or more 
species are often found in the same abscess ; thus Passet, in thirty- 
three cases of acute abscess, found Staphylococcus aureus and albus 
associated in eleven, albus alone in four, albus and citreus in two, 
Streptococcus pyogenes alone in eight, albus and streptococcus in 
one, and albus, citreus, and streptococcus in one. Hoffa found, in 
twenty-two cases of inguinal bubo, aureus in ten, albus in nine, and 
citreus in three. Bumm, in ten cases of puerperal mastitis, found 
aureus in seven and Streptococcus pyogenes in three. Rosenbach 
found staphylococci alone sixteen times, Streptococcus pyogenes alone 
fifteen times, staphylococci and streptococci associated five times, 
and Micrococcus tenuis three times in thirty-nine acute abscesses and 
phlegmons examined by him. 
Robb and Ghrisky have shown that under the most rigid antisep- 
tic treatment microdrganisms are constantly found attached to su- 
tures when these are removed from wounds made by the surgeon, 
and that a skin abscess frequently results from the presence of the 
most common of these microédrganisms—Staphylococcus epidermidis 
albus. 
The authors named state their conclusions as follows : 
‘‘A wound, at some time of ‘its existence, always contains organisms. 
They occur either on the stitches or in the secretions. _ 
‘The number of bacteria is influenced by the constricting action of the 
ligatures or drainage tube, or anything interfering with the circulation of 
the tissues. fy 
‘The virulence of the organisms present will influence the progress of 
the wound. : : . 
‘The body temperature is invariably elevated if the bacteria are viru- 
lent; and, indeed, in cases where many of the less virulent organisms are 
found, almost without exception there is some rise of temperature.” 
The organism most frequently found—Staphylococcus epidermi- 
