Abstract
The observations of Menkin 1 and of Burrows 2 on the failure of the diffusion of trypan blue into areas of inflammation when the dye is injected intradermally near the inflamed site, are interpreted upon the basis of thrombotic occlusions in the lymphatics and on the interference produced by a fibrinous exudate. It seemed of interest then, to study the mechanism of the spread of an acute inflammatory process into the site of a chronic inflammatory reaction. This has been made possible by the intradermal injection of India ink and at subsequent times, by the injection of pneumococci into the adjacent skin.
Preliminary intradermal injections of 0.4 cc of India ink in saline dilutions from 1:4 to 1:50 were made on the sides of white rabbits. Subsequently either .002 cc of Type I or 0.1 cc of Type III pneumo-coccus 18-hr, broth cultures were injected intradermally 1 to 2 cm above this site. These inoculations were made at intervals from 24 hours to 11 weeks after the ink was injected. Inflammation was also induced in other rabbits by the intradermal injection of 0.2 cc of oil of citronella. This oil produces a more marked induration and a more slowly spreading inflammation than that produced by the pneumococci. A description of the inflammation produced in the skin of rabbits by pneumococci has been given by Rhoads and Goodner. 3 The animals were killed at intervals and sections of the skin were made.
There is present after 24 hours slight hyperemia, edema and leucocytic infiltration in the area of skin injected with India ink. This reaction slowly subsides and after a month there is essentially no cellular reaction at the site of the ink injection.
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