264 THE BACTERIOPHAGE AND ITS BEHAVIOR 



In 1924, during the return of the pilgrims from Mecca, while they were 

 quarantined at the lazaretto at Tor, I isolated from the stools of one of 

 these pilgrims (although he showed none of the symptoms of cholera) 

 a vibrio which agglutinated with an anti-cholera serum to its titre. It is 

 significant that there was no epidemic* at this time. While held in the 

 lazaretto the stools of this pilgrim w^ere examined every 48 hours. 

 After a time the stool revealed a non-agglutinating vibrio, and after a 

 further 48 hours all of the vibrios had disappeared. t 



The vibrio susceptible to agglutination was bacteriophaged perfectly 

 by the bacteriophage isolated by Flu; while the vibrio which was inagglu- 

 tinable, isolated 48 hours later, was refractory. At this time the 

 intestinal contents contained a bacteriophage having a high virulence 

 for the agglutinable vibrio. This virulence was very specific, for when 

 it was tested against six strains definitely known to be Vibrio cholerae, 

 it was without action. 



16. The staphylococcus 



There are many authors who attribute to Twort the discovery of a 

 bacteriophage virulent for the staphylococcus. Unquestionably Twort 

 should receive the credit of having discovered the first bacterial trans- 

 formation to take place serially but it is quite impossible that this 

 process is bacteriophagy, for according to his own description the 

 phenomenon which he observed was not a dissolution of the bacterial 

 bodies but simply a fragmentation. The culture layer on agar became 

 transformed into a vitreous layer formed of granules, staining red by 

 Giemsa. I do not understand how it is possible that such a phe- 

 nomenon, termed by Twort the "breaking down of bacteria," that is, a 

 "bacterioclysis," can be hkened to bacteriophagy which is a phenomenon 

 characterized by a "dissolution without residue." No one has advanced 

 the least explanation to reconcile these facts. Everyone has been 

 satisfied with affirming that there is a likeness without offering any 

 proof and without any discussion. 



In a word, for Twort to claim priority insofar as the observation that 

 a serial phenomenon occurs is absolutely just, but that he should affirm 

 that what he observed was bacteriophagy is absolutely contradicted 



* For more than 10 years no case of cholera has been found at the quarantine 

 station at Tor nor has any case been observed in the Hedjaz. 



t Crendiropoulo has noted that the same thing takes place in the course of 

 epidemics where he observed the phenomenon on numerous occasions. A carrier 

 would show an agglutinable vibrio; then a vibrio that agglutinated less vigor- 

 ously, then one which was inagglutinable, and finally the vibrios all disappeared. 



