It does not seem to multiply in
the stomach or in the blood, but once injected into the duodenum
develops with astonishing rapidity, and the delicate epithelial cells
of the villi become swollen, soften and break down, exposing the
mucosa.
It has been shown that _bouillon_ in which Loeffler's diphtheria
bacillus has grown, and which has been passed through unglazed
porcelain filters, shows the presence of a poison which is capable of
producing the same results upon inoculation as the pure culture of the
bacillus itself. Zarniko, working upon the same organism, obtained a
number of positive results that led him to declare this bacillus is
the cause of epidemic diphtheria, in spite of many assertions to the
contrary. Chantmesse and Widal record the results of their work as to
what will most easily and effectively destroy the bacillus of
diphtheria.
The only three substances that actually checked and destroyed its
vitality were phenic acid (5 per cent.), camphor (20 per cent.), olive
oil (25 per cent.), in combination. For the last I substitute
glycerine, because this allows the mixture to penetrate farther into
the mucous membrane than oil, the latter favoring a tendency to pass
over the surface.
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