Note 690 — Chapter XIII · IMMUNITY OF THE SKIN AND MUCOUS MEMBRANES

Amongst this acidophile flora one species merits particular attention. This is a spirillum, discovered by Bizzozero in the mucous membrane of the stomach of the dog. Salomon (Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., Jena, 1896, Bd. XIX, S. 433) has studied this organism, not only in the dog, but in the cat and Norway rat. Multiplying on the mucous membrane, the very mobile spirillum penetrates into the epithelial cells or is met with inside vacuoles. These latter being in communication with the external medium, the spirilla can readily penetrate by the openings. This fact has, then, nothing in common with phagocytosis, where it is the cell which ingests the micro-organisms by means of its amoeboid movements.