Abstract
In 1899 Von Lingelscheim 1 observed necrosis in the skin of rabbits following the intracutaneous injection of staphylococcus filtrates. Neisser and Wechsberk 2 repeated the original experiments of Lingelscheim and studied the toxic properties of the filtrates more fully. They demonstrated both active and passive immunity in rabbits and found the toxic qualities of the filtrate to be extremely thermolabile. The filtrates no longer gave cutaneous reactions after heating at 56° C. More recently Parker 3 and her associates have carried out experimental work along the same line. They find that filtrates of staphylococcus grown under proper conditions cause necrosis in the skin of rabbits. They obtain antitoxic serum in rabbits and horses. This antitoxin prevents the necrosis in the rabbit, and neutralizes staphylococcus filtrate, according to the law of multiples. In their first experiments few of the strains with which they were working gave toxic filtrates. Later filtrates from 13 or 14 strains gave cutaneous reactions neutralized by a common antitoxic serum.
When filtrates of bacteria give cutaneous reactions of this type there is a possibility that the toxicity of the filtrates may be associated with the virulence of various strains. We have studied 31 strains of Staphylococcus aureus with this possibility in view. The strains selected were all hemolytic. They were obtained from two sources. First, from infectious processes including furuncles, abscesses, acute staphylococcus anginas and from the blood stream in cases of septicaemia, and second from the nasopharynx of normal individuals who were carriers of staphylococcus. The first subculture of each strain was grown in 4 per cent proteose peptone broth for 4 days in an atmosphere of carbon dioxide. Parker 3 has found this method especially suitable for the production of toxin.
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