550 THE BACTERIOPHAGE AND ITS BEHAVIOR 



was injected. The mortality in the epizootics which I observed was 

 nearly 100 per cent. In the chickens which received the bacteriophage 

 suspension the mortality was about 5 per cent. 



As the typhoid and paratyphoid bacilU are closely related to B. 

 gallinarum, and since in many respects typhosis closely resembles 

 human typhoid fever, I thought that a specific bacteriophage therapy 

 of this last disease could be readily accomphshed. This was a mistake. 



Beckerich and Hauduroy^^ treated 12 cases of typhoid and paraty- 

 phoid fevers with the bacteriophage. They report as follows : 



In 2 cases of the ataxoadynamic form in the adult, as well as in 2 

 cases in children, all very severe cases, the administration of the bac- 

 teriophage proved of no benefit. 



In 2 cases of the ordinary form, treated between the 9th and 18th days 

 of the disease, the patients were given by ingestion 2 cc. of a suspension 

 of the bacteriophage virulent for B. typhosus. Two hours after the 

 treatment a crisis occurred, with sweating, which was followed by a 

 permanent fall in temperature in 48 hours. 



In 2 very severe cases of infection by B. paratyphosus B in infants, the 

 bacteriophage was adminstered, on the 9th day in one, on the 23rd 

 day in the other, by the subcutaneous injection of 1 cc. and the simul- 

 taneous ingestion of 2 cc. In the first case the temperature dropped to 

 normal within 24 hours; within 48 hours in the second case. As in the 

 preceding cases successfully treated a sudoral crisis occurred about 2 

 hours after the administration of the bacteriophage. 



In 2 cases of severe typhoid fever in adults, on the 10th and on the 

 14th days respectively, the bacteriophage was administered by mouth 

 (5 cc.) and by subcutaneous injection (1 cc). Permanent defervescence 

 followed within 48 hours. 



In all of the cases which have been described, the pathogenic bacillus 

 was isolated by blood culture shortly before the administration of the 

 bacteriophage, indicating that the disease was in its full development. 



Hauduroy and Arsimoles^" report a B. typhosus infection, assuming 

 the form of a dysentery, — severe abdominal pain, coHc, vomiting, mu- 

 cous and bloody stools, and fever. The patient was given per os a 

 bacteriophage virulent for both B. typhosus and B. dysenteriae. The 

 blood quickly disappeared from the stools and convalescence began 

 within 48 hours. 



Alessandrini and Doria^ treated 18 cases of typhoid fever with the 

 bacteriophage. In 9 the therapeutic result was very clear-cut, — a 

 rapid improvement in the general condition with a complete loss of 



