Speng'ler's frag'ments

[Carl Spengler, Swi physician, *i86i.] Small round bodies resembling the the cro -section of a bacillus, found in tuberculous sputum they have the same staining qualities as the tubercle bacillus, and when inoculated in a suitable culture medium are said to develop into tubercle bacilli. S.'s meth'od for examining sputum; the sputum is mixed with an equal amount of lukewarm weak sodium carbonate solution; pancreatin is added and then crystallized carbolic acid, and the mixture is incubated for a short time at body temperature; the sediment is then examined for tubercle bacilli. S.'s tuberculin, S.'s immune bodies, IK; see under tuberculin.