THE REACTION OF THE ALBINO RAT TO THE INTRA-AURAL ADMINISTRATION OF CERTAIN BACTERIA ASSOCIATED WITH MIDDLE EAR DISEASE.
The infective capacity of three bacteria commonly encountered during a study of natural middle ear disease in a rat colony has been determined by direct intra-aural injection in young rats. One week after the introduction of B. actinoides 75 per cent of the rats showed a purulent exudate in the injected middle ear cavity and 65 per cent yielded pure cultures of the organism. With hemolytic and non-hemolytic streptococci 75 per cent showed a serous or mucoid exudate and 12 per cent yielded the organism in culture. With a diphtheroid 18 per cent showed a gross reaction in the middle ear which was sterile in every case. The experimental findings are discussed in relation to the etiology of middle ear disease.
Department of Animal Pathology of The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, Princeton, N. J.
J B
JB
Nelson