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PATHOGENIC BACTERIA OF THE HUMAN MOUTH. 260 :

pigs, twenty-two injections into the thoracic cavity, besides a
number of mixed infections.
The pockets were made in the customary manner, at the root
of the tail, and the material for inoculation was usually taken
from an agar-agar culture one to two weeks old. Injections
were made with the sterilizable subcutaneous syringe, cultures
in beef-extract-peptone solutions from two to four days old being
used. For mice, 0.05 to 0.1 cc. ; for rabbits and guinea-pigs, 0.25
to 0.5 cc. were injected. The mice were always etherized before
making the injection. The etherization renders the operation
much easier and surer; it maybe accomplished in tifteen seconds
by taking the mouse by the tail and holding him in a wide-
mouthed ether-bottle.
In 18.8 per cent, of the pocket inoculations a severe local re-
action ftdlowed, resulting in the formation of a small abscess,
generally remaining superficial, but occasionally penetrating into
the subcutaneous tissue. In eight cases the inoculation was fol-
lowed by death, the mice showing, in three cases, symptoms of
blood-poisoning, the micro-organisms being also present in the
blood and different organs. In a number of cases necrosis of
the skin around the pocket occurred, a piece of skin one-fourth
to one-half inch in diameter being thrown off. In 50 per cent,
the reaction was light, nothing more than a slight local redness
and formation of a very minute quantity of pus l)eing observed.
In 31.2 per cent, no reaction whatever could be detected, the
wound healing rapidly, without either suppuration or swelling.
Of the subcutaneous injections, 24 per cent, produced violent re-
actions, resulting either in the death of the animal from septi-
CEemia, peritonitis, pleuritis, etc., or in extensive sujipuration and
abscess-formation. Slight reaction was produced in 32 per cent.
temporary sickness, from which the animals soon recovered, or
slight swelling at the point of injection ; in 44 per cent, no effect
could be detected.
Subcutaneous inoculation with portions of gangrenous pulps
produced comparatively severe symptoms in 36.8 per cent, of
the pulps experimented with, slight effects in 47.4 per cent.,
and no apparent reaction in 15.8 per cent.
It appears from these results that inoculation with portions of