FOCAL INFECTION AND SELECTIVE LOCALIZATION OF STREPTOCOCCI IN PYELONEPHRITIS

Abstract

In most nonspecific urinary infections, either in the bladder or in the kidney, a gram-negative motile bacillus, believed to be the colon bacillus, is generally the predominating organism in the urine. Naturally, investigation and treatment have been directed against this organism, and patients with pyelonephritis are not considered cured until specimens catheterized from each kidney are found to be free from both bacteria and pus. Recently, investigators have centered their attention on this organism. During the chill incident to the removal of residual urine in prostatic cases, colon bacilli have been recovered from the blood in as high as 40 per cent. of cases.¹ Helmholz and Beeler have attempted to produce pyelonephritis experimentally in rabbits by the intravenous injection of colon bacilli obtained from human cases, but only eight of sixty-six animals injected had lesions in the kidney; twenty-one had lesions in other organs.²However, during the course of the