APPENDIX. 207 
carefully searched, as it often happens that character- 
istically stained bacilli may be seen in one part of the 
field, while they are entirely absent elsewhere. This 
is especially true of films made direct from the swabs. 
The author is inclined to attach very considerable 
importance to a positive result obtained with this method 
of staining, but would not consider a negative result 
as indicating the absence of the diphtheria bacillus. 
