A new pathogenic micro-organism of the conjunctival sac / Hanford McKee.

  • McKee, Samuel Hanford, 1875-1943.
Date:
1907
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: A new pathogenic micro-organism of the conjunctival sac / Hanford McKee. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    colonics. The growth is easily seen, the colonies being the size of an ordinary pin head. Older colonies show some change in color. The bacillus here described on hemoglobin agar gives a very characteristic appearance; over the surface of the agar, with a proper reflection of light, is seen a mass of tiny pin-point colorless colonies. The growth is not easily seen. This organism has also been cultivated on media free from hemoglobin. 4. Pathogenicity.—The Koch-Weeks bacillus, while pathogenic for the human conjunctival sac, is not pathogenic for animals. The bacillus influenza is slightly pathogenic for some animals. Pfeiffer found by injecting intravenously into rabbits the bacillus influenza a characteristic effect was produced. He attributed these results to toxic products present in the cultures, and in none of his experi- ments was he ever able to obtain effects resembling septicemic in- fection. Cantani by injecting the bacillus influenza into the an- terior portion of the brain of rabbits succeeded in producing an acute encephalitis. The bacilli, however, were never found in the blood or other organs. This bacillus is pathogenic for mice. In every case where in- jected intraperitoneally a marked peritonitis was set up and a sep- ticemia, as evidenced by pure cultures of the bacillus, being ob- tained from the heart’s blood. This organism then is similar to the different influenza bacilli in morphology and in its growing well in commensal relationship with the staphylococcus. It is not bacillus influenza for the following reasons: (1) The form of conjunctivitis set up differs from influenza con- junctivitis. (2) This bacillus on hemoglobin agar differs widely from bacil- lus influenza. On this media, under most favorable conditions and with the media at a most suitable reaction, the growth is hardly perceptible and differs from the bacillus influenza on the same media in size, color and appearance. (3) The bacillus has been cultivated on media free from hemo- globin. (4) It is viable for a much longer period than the bacillus influ- enza. (5) It is pathogenic for mice causing a septicemia.
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