Abstract
One hundred forty-five cases have been studied in one or more of the following ways: by naso-pharyngeal cultures, blood cultures, sputum for pneumococcus type or lung cultures postmortem. B. injluenzœ: was found to predominate in the nasopharyngeal cultures, Pneumococcus III. in the blood cultures and Pneumococcus IV. in sputum and lung cultures. The percentage of naso-pharyngeal cultures containing B. injluenzœ: was somewhat higher among the uncomplicated cases than among the pneumonia cases. At one period, influenza bacilli were found in 75 per cent. of the naso-pharyngeal cultures. The Pneumococcus IV. strains isolated have been found to belong to various groups.
The blood of influenza convalescents has been found to contain agglutinins for strains of influenza bacilli isolated during the recent epidemic. The macroscopic method is used. Incubation at 55° C. gives more satisfactory results than at 37° C.
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