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256 THE MWRO-ORQANISMS OF THE HUMAN MOUTH.

exerts no toxic influence, but gains its poisonous property by
admixtures from the oral cavity. Boiled saliva exerts no, or but
a comparatively insignificant, action.
A. Friinkel ^^^ further substantiated Yulpian's observations, and
especially emphasized the remarkable fact that the microbes in
question may be present in the saliva of one and the same indi-
vidual at certain times and at others not.
Frankel, as well as other observers, found rabbits best adapted
for these experiments; mice and guinea-pigs also proved suscep-
""^
tible, whereas chickens, pigeons, and dogs were refractory. I
obtained the same results by inoculating mice and rabbits with
the saliva of a woman afflicted with mycosis tonsillaris benigna.
The saliva mixed w^ith bouillon was allowed to stand for a num-
ber of hours at blood temperature, and then injected into the
luno-s of two rabbits and two mice. The death of all the animals
resulted within thirty hours ; in the blood I found numerous
cocci and diplococci, most of them enveloped in a gelatinous
capsule.
I furthermore isolated a micrococcus from decayed dentine
which exhibited unquestionable pathogenic properties.
Klein^^^ and others also call attention to the infectious properties
of human saliva, particularly under diseased conditions. It was
established by these numerous investigations, beyond doubt, that
a group of micro-organisms belongiug to the coccus form occurs
almost invariably in the buccal juices, which, when brought into
the circulatory system in sufficient numbers, may provoke the
most dangerous diseases. Of late years, by the cultivation of
mouth-bacteria on artificial media and in the animal body, the
pronounced pathogenic properties of a large number of them
have been conclusively demonstrated. The most important of
these will be discussed below.

PATHOGENIC BACTERIA OF THE HUMAN MOUTH.
Not for the less dangerous ferment-bacteria alone, but for
micro-organisms of a pathogenic nature as well, the oral cavity
presents in point of temperature, moisture, nutritive materials,
etc., an almost perfect breeding-place.
From this reason it is to be expected that among the many