Report of Cases
Summary of Cases
Suggested Relationship Between Chronic Ulcers and Gas Gangrene
Technic
Isolation of Anaerobes
Pathogenicity
Differentiation of Organisms
Clinical Application
Results
Cases Harboring Anaerobes
Control Cultures
Ubiquity of Clostridium Welchii
Comment
Significance of Results
Status of Anaerobic Antitoxins
Summary
Two virulent cases of gas gangrene following amputation of extremities that were the site of chronic ulcers stimulated interest in this subject. Gas gangrene is usually the result of severe trauma with muscle destruction and a wound grossly contaminated with dirt and foreign bodies. The problem presented itself as to the origin of the gas bacillus infection in postoperative wounds, in which all the usual aseptic and antiseptic precautions had been employed, and the possible relationship of the ulcers to the development of the gas bacillus infection was suggested. This paper includes a report of two cases and a bacteriologic study of chronic ulcerating lesions with particular