538 BACTERIOLOGY. 
Our knowledge of the pathogenic importance of the 
bacillus pyocyaneus in human diseases has been much 
increased by recent investigations. Thus cases have 
been reported in which this bacillus has been obtained 
in pure culture from pus derived from the tympanic 
cavity in disease of the middle ear, from cases of oph- 
thalmia and bronchopneumonia. Kruse and Pasquale 
have found the same micro-organism in three cases of 
idiopathic abscess of the liver, in two of them in immense 
numbers and in pure culture. Ernst and Schiirmayer 
report the presence of the bacillus pyocyaneus in serous 
inflammation of the pericardial sac and of the knee- 
joint. Ehlers gives the history of a disease in two 
sisters who were attacked simultaneously with fever, 
albuminuria, and paralysis. It was thought that they 
would turn out to be typhoid fever or meningitis, but 
on the twelfth day there was an eruption of blisters, 
from the contents of which the bacillus pyocyaneus was 
isolated. Jadkewitsch reports the case of a patient 
suffering from eczema of the lower extremities, in 
whom three times during a period of ten years there 
was eruption of boils containing blue pus, with accom- 
panying symptoms of poisoning, emaciation, prostra- 
tion, diarrhea, and paresis. Krambals refers to seven 
cases in which a general pyocyaneous infection occurred, 
and adds an eighth from his own experience. In this 
the bacillus pyocyaneus was obtained post-mortem from 
green pus in the pleural cavity, from serum in the peri- 
cardial sac, and from the spleen in pure culture. 
Schimmelbush states that a physician injected 0.5 c.c. 
of sterilized (by heat) culture into his forearm. Asa 
result of this injection, after a few hours he had a 
slight chill, followed by fever, which at the end of 
