A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis by Means of Microscopic and Chemical Methods, for Students, Hospital Physicians, and Practitioners

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 edition. Excerpt: ... of numerous threads which radiate from a centre in a fan-like manner and present clubshaped extremities (Fig. 125). 1 Jour. Exper. Med., 1965, vol. vii, p. 335. 2 M. W. Rwhardsen, Boston Med. and Surg. Jour., Feb. 5, 1903. The cattle organism is termed the Streptothrix (Actinomyces) bovis communis (Streptothrix actinomycotica, or ray fungus). It may be demonstrated in the following manner: Dried cover-glass preparations are stained for five to ten minutes with aniline-water--gentian violet (see Weigert-Ehrlich stain for tubercle bacilli), when they are rinsed in normal salt solution, dried between filter paper, and transferred for two or three minutes to a solution of iodopotassic iodide (1 to 100 or 1 to 150). They are then again dried between layers of filter paper, decolorized in xylol-aniline oil (1 to 2), washed in xylol, and mounted in balsam. The mycelium assumes a dark-blue color.1 The organism is acid fast, but loses its color on washing with alcohol (95 per cent.). In addition to the cattle cases there exists a group of pulmonary cases which present the clinical features of tuberculosis, broncho--pneumonia, or gangrene, but in which the infecting agent is a species of streptothrix different from the cattle variety. About 30 cases of this kind have been reported (1906). Different species have been described, such as the Streptothflrc eppingeri (Cladothrix asteroida), Streptothrix pseudotuberculosa, Flexner; Streptothrix hominis, F oulerton, and Streptothrix isrrli. The organism is found in the sputum, often in the form of small, grayish-yellow granules. These are made up of a mycelium of branching organisms, which in the unstained specimen appear as fine, homogeneous, glistening threads, about two to four times as wide as a...