A Case of Meningitis Due to Bacterium Tularense

The story of tularemia in all its phases has been told by Francis1and recently by Simpson.2Attention was first drawn to the human aspect of the disease in the work of Wherry and Lamb3wherein these workers were able to show bacteriologically the involvement of the etiologic factor in the lesions found in man. So far as we know, aside from mention by Francis4of five fatal cases terminating in severe meningeal symptoms, no case of meningitis has been shown to be the result of invasion of the spinal canal byBacterium tularense. REPORT OF CASE T. M. P., aged 45, a night watchman, seen, December 19, complained of headache, severe head cold, a sore left thumb, and pain in the left axilla. Examination revealed a painful and swollen lesion of the palmar surface of the left thumb; tender axillary glands; chest, nose and throat