II. The Ohio Epidemic

Definition of Terms .—A glossary of terms used in this publication is included in a previous paper. 1 The present communication describes a study carried out in the nurseries of the Cincinnati General Hospital and represents our first controlled investigation utilizing artificial nasal and umbilical colonization with strain 502A. These series of observations provided evidence which further substantiated the concept of interference between coagulase positive staphylococcal strains of bacteria and indicated that this phenomenon could be used on a practical scale to terminate an epidemic of staphylococcal disease. Impetigo and furuncles in recently discharged newborn infants and their family contacts had been reported intermittently to one of us (J.S.), the Director of the nursery of the Cincinnati General Hospital. This particular nursery had been under continuous close observation for over two years, and a previous outbreak of staphylococcal disease had been intensively investigated. 2 A system of weekly discharge cultures