MENINGITIS IN AN INFANT DUE TO A HITHERTO UNDESCRIBED ORGANISM, MICROCOCCUS FLORENS

These virulence tests lead us to believe that Micrococcus florens is pathogenic for mice, rabbits, and monkeys (Macacus rhesus), producing septicemia, and that it will also cause purulent meningitis in the two latter animals. The combined results of the biological reactions and of the agglutination tests lead us to believe that we are dealing with an organism which, though morphologically similar to the meningococcus, yet is entirely distinct. A review of the literature fails to reveal any description of a Gramnegative micrococcus which grows luxuriantly on all media tested, forms no pigment, and ferments arabinose, dextrose, and galactose.