572 THE BACTERIOPHAGE AND ITS BEHAVIOR 



examination except some red blood cells and some polymorphonuclear 

 cells, about 1 to every 40 red cells. Plantings made upon media re- 

 mained sterile. Guinea pigs inoculated have lived for 10 days — up to 

 the present time. To the bouillon implanted with the material, which 

 had remained sterile, I added a suspension of B. pestis (the strain isolated 

 from the patient 3 days previously) and bacteriophagy was complete in 

 20 hours. 



After two passages, the race of bacteriophage derived from the bubo 

 caused a complete dissolution in 6 hours. In this case also, the bubo 

 was opened on the 25th. Only a few drona of bloody fluid were found: 

 there was no pus. The incisions had healed completely on August 5th. 



Case 3. Theodoro Cass cabin-boy, 16 years old. 



On the 12th of July he presented the symptoms of a febrile gastric 

 disturbance, and on this same day he was isolated in the hospital. 

 His condition grew worse on the evening of the 14th. 



On the morning of the 15th the pulse was irregular at 126; the tem- 

 perature was 39.4°C.; the conjunctivae were injected; and there was a 

 marked prostration. During the night a swelling of the right sub- 

 maxillary gland developed, it becoming the size of a hazelnut, and was 

 painful when pressed. 



Material aspirated from the gland revealed cocco-bacilli in direct 

 smears. Cultures from the material gave typical B. pestis, and a guinea 

 pig inoculated with it died 56 hours later with all of the lesions char- 

 acteristic of experimental plague in this animal. 



On the 15th, at 3 p.m., I injected 1 cc. of the bacteriophage suspension 

 directly into the center of the swollen gland. 



On the morning of the 16th, all of the symptoms, with the exception 

 of the bubo, had disappeared. The patient was lively, and was sitting 

 up in bed when I made my visit. His temperature was 37.2°C.; the 

 pulse 70. He stated that he had felt no ill effects as a result of the in- 

 jection and that he had slept well. I had requested the attendants to 

 watch him closely throughout the night and they confirmed his state- 

 ment — they had observed no evidence of a reaction, no sweating and no 

 restlessness. A few hours after the injection the patient had told them 

 that he felt better and that he was going to sleep. When he woke up 

 he told them that he was well. 



Considering the nature of the disease, and the serious condition of the 

 three patients, I had feared that there might be a marked general re- 

 action as a result of the in vivo bacteriophagy of the plague bacilli. But 

 absolutely nothing of the kind occurred. There was not even a local 



