Medical century Volume 15

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 Excerpt: ... late writer, that only three diseases may be directly and definitely the result of infection by Pfeiffer's bacillus or its toxins, and these are of quite infrequent occurrence. Thev are meningitis, encephalitis and myelitis; of these meningitis occurs most frequently, either co-incidently with the disease syndrome or immediately as a sequel; a distinction must be made, however, between the symptoms occurring in the nervous form of the disease and those which are a result of an actual inflammation of the meninges. It may be worthy of note here that there is a distinct form of the disease which presents what may be termed catarrhal symptoms and another whose manifestations are indicative of a disturbance of the nervous system. Hence we are justified in noting that an actual meningitis cannot be said to exist when merely the nervous phenmoeria of the disease predominate. A definite and positive diagnosis can and must be made of the presence of the bacillus. "Since the utilization of spinal puncture and examination of spinal fluid as a routine diagnostic measure, many cases of influenzal meningitis have been recognized. Before that time the bacillus of Pfeiffer had been found in the exudate of certain cases of meningitis. In many cases it occurs accompanied with other organisms." Recently a case has been reported where a bacillus was demonstrated in the cerebrospinal fluid obtained by a lumbar puncture, the fluid showing many such bacilli situated both intra-and extra-cellularly, of the shape and size of Pfeiffer's organism. After death a similar bacillus was found in the meningeal exudate. This case taken in conjunction with those reported by other observers adequately proves that meningitis may result from this bacillus. Furthermore, such cases are...