EMBOLISM   27R2


THROMBOSIS  27R2


  In 1909, Dr. Rosenow had been able to consistently isolate a


"green producing diplococcus of low virulence from the thrombus or


blood in each of a number of cases of thrombosis and pulmonary


embolism" [09R4] using a special technic which afforded gradients


of oxygen pressure [14R12]


  In 1927 Dr. Rosenow was "impelled ... again to study the


question" as a result of an unprecedented number of cases of


postoperative thrombosis in the Mayo Clinic.  He noted that "the


occurrence of cases of pulmonary embolism in groups, especially


when certain respiratory infections are prevalent, speaks for a


microbic etiology of the disease."  He again emphasized the use of


an oxygen-gradient culture medium, and "the importance of making


cultures from goodly amounts of tissue, and with what


tenacity they [tissue] hold onto the infecting organism."


  At this time he again isolated an identical diplostreptococcus


from the embolus of each of 5 cases of pulmonary embolism;


reproduced thrombi experimentally in guinea pigs, rabbits and dogs;


and then isolated the same organism from thrombi so produced.  The


organism was also identified microscopically in all but two of 25


other cases (from which pulmonary emboli and thrombi had been


preserved in a 10% solution of formalin).  Of the organism, Dr.


Rosenow stated: "They were never numerous; prolonged search was


often necessary to find them. ... The organism is of low general


virulence. ... It rarely causes lesions in the various tissues


except those secondary to thrombosis or embolism.  The blood of


animals was usually sterile or contained relatively few organisms,


facts in harmony with the noteworthy lack of, or mild, febrile


reaction and the usual absence of the organism from the blood. ...


Experiments have been successful with each of the four strains and


injected and isolated from thrombi and with one strain isolated


from foci of infection at the apexes of teeth.  Such results have


not been obtained in numerous experiments following injection of


morphologically similar organisms from cases other than pulmonary


embolism."  Dr. Rosenow suggested "the possibility of a means of


prevention through specific inoculation with a vaccine prepared


from this organism." [27R2]