208 APPLIED BACTERIOLOGY 



The micrococcus of Sternberg does not grow on potato, 

 and but slightly on gelatine, while the organism of Fried- 

 lander produces a thick yellowish growth on potato, and 

 grows vigorously on gelatine, while in stab gelatine it pro- 

 duces what is known as the ' nail ' culture. The death- 

 point of Sternberg's organism is given by him as 52° C, 

 while that of Priedlander's organism he finds to be 56° C. 



The Micrococcus pneitmonice crouposcB so soon loses its 

 vitality in culture that special means have to be adopted 

 to keep it alive, whereas the diplo-bacillus of Friedlander 

 retains its vitality vigorously, and it has been found that 

 fresh growths could be obtained from cultures a year old. 

 Pure cultures of both organisms are most easily obtained 

 by inoculating a guinea-pig with pneumonic sputum, when 

 one of the above-mentioned organisms will probably be 

 found in the heart's blood some days later. It was, indeed, 

 by inoculating a guinea-pig with his own sputum to serve 

 as a control that Sternberg first met with the organism of 

 pneumonia. Many other observers confirm the finding of 

 the organism in healthy sputum, and, like the Klebs- 

 Loffler, it may frequently exist in the throat of healthy 

 persons without causing any injurious effects. J. Wash- 

 bourn, after trying various methods for the preservation of 

 the life of the organism, finds the best plan is that which 

 is also found satisfactory in the case of influenza, namely, 

 to grow the organism on a few drops of blood smeared on 

 the surface of glycerine agar. 



Bacteriological Diagnosis. — This is recommended by 

 "Wiirtz, who suggests the examination of liquid drawn from 

 the hepatized portion of the lung, the blood and the 

 sputum. If the micrococci are found in the blood, he 

 regards the prognosis as extremely grave, whereas, on the 

 other hand, he cites cases, where the organisms were not 

 found in the blood, which terminated favourably. With 



