ERYSIPELAS 185 



lococcus pyogenes citreus, the Staphylococcus cereus aureus, 

 Staphylococcus cereus citreus and the Staphylococcus cereus 

 albus, all of which are so named from the waxen appearance 

 of their cultures. 



Bacillus Pyocyaneus. — It appears that there are two 

 organisms found in blue and green pus, only one of which 

 possesses true pathogenic properties. 



They are separately described by Sternberg as the 

 ' bacillus of Gessard ' and the ' bacillus of Ernst' ; the former 

 of them seems to be pathogenic, while the other may be a 

 harmless chromogenic saprophyte. It is the latter which 

 produces the ' chameleon phenomenon.' 



In a paper by E. P. Williams and Kenneth Cameron 

 {Journal of Pathology and Bacteriology, January, 1896), the 

 authors give an account of some cases of fatal disease in 

 children in which bacilli presenting the characters of both 

 Gessard's and Ernst's bacilli were isolated and examined 

 by them ; they further state that from the facts observed 

 by them it seems probable that these bacilli are capable of 

 many variations in form and colour-production, according 

 to their environment, and that further expeiriments will 

 prove Gessard to be correct in his opinion that they are but 

 varieties of races of the same bacillus. 



ERYSIPELAS. 



Fehleisen's streptococcus — Growth on media — Media must contain 

 peptone — Virulence is more rapidly lost in broth than in soHd media 

 — Occurrence and distribution — Pathogenesis — Exhibits varying 

 degrees of infectivity — The possible identity of the organism with 

 the Streptococcus pyogenes — Practical disinfection. 



The Streptococcus erysipelatis was first described by 

 Fehleisen in the year 1883 ; it is found in great numbers 

 in the lymph channels of the skin in persons suffering from 



