Skin Reaction in Streptothrix Infection. 41 



Abstracts of the Communications, Pacific Coast Branch. 



Fourth meeting. 



San Francisco, California, October g, 1913. 

 23 (840) 



Skin reaction in streptothrix infections. 



By Edith J. Claypole (by invitation). 



[From the Hearst Laboratory of Pathology and Bacteriology, Uni- 

 versity of California.} 



There are a number of cases of obscure infection, especially 

 of the lungs, which pass frequently as tuberculosis, clinically 

 showing many similar symptoms, without, however, tubercle 

 bacilli. Quite a proportion of these cases are due to a streptothrix 

 infection. Detection by sputum examination is not nearly so 

 easy or so definite as in tuberculosis, and after working over the 

 subject in a variety of ways it seemed possible that a skin test 

 similar to that made by old tuberculin might help in the problem. 

 From two species of these organisms, 5. eppingeri, a partly acid- 

 fast type, and 5. hominis (III, Foulerton), a preparation was made 

 exactly analogous to Koch's old tuberculin (a glycerine bouillon 

 filtrate concentrated to i/ioth its original volume, making a 50 

 per cent, glycerin extract). The organisms were grown 4-6 weeks 

 at 37 0 C. in 5 per cent, glycerine bouillon. 



After making three slight abrasions of the skin on the upper 

 arm with a von Pirquet chisel, the three preparations were gently 

 rubbed in, leaving them to dry for 10 minutes. The tuberculin 

 was used as a control in each case, and the streptotricin prepara- 

 tions compared with it. 



Eleven cases of tuberculosis, six non-tuberculous lung infec- 

 tions, and five infants from 3^ to 17 months were tested with the 

 following results: 





Old Tuberculin 



Positive 8 



Negative 3 





Streptotricin 



Positive 1 



Negative 10 



6 Non-tuberculous 



Old Tuberculin 



Positive 1 



Negative 5 





Streptotricin 



Positive 6 



Negative 0 





Old Tuberculin 



Positive 1 



Negative 4 





Streptotricin 



Positive 0 



Negative 5 



