This datasheet on Mycobacterium fortuitum covers Identity, Distribution, Hosts/Species Affected.
THE difficulties in the diagnosis of tuberculosis in its earliest stages are apparent to all workers in this field of medicine. Particularly is this true of that. large group of patients in whom the familiar syndrome of fatigue, asthenia, loss of strength, loss of weight, nervousness in varying degrees, tachycardia, vasomotor instability Qnd possibly slight elevation of temperature would make one suspicious of tuberculosis, but in whom the physical signs, laboratory and x-ray findings are insufficient for a positive diagnosis. How frequently indeed one meets patients, who, under the suspicion of tuberculosis because of just such symptoms, have undergone a most rigid anti-tuberculosis therapy, extending in some instances over years. Not only have they followed the antituberculosis therapy, they have indeed subjected themselves to every form of therapy calculated to benefit them, such as rest, extra-feeding, exercise, work, change of climate, possibly even surgical measures, but all to no avail,-their symptoms have remained unimproved. An equally difficult problem is presented by another group of cases in which there is a tuberculous lesion definitely demon-
