REVIEW — TROPICAL MEDICINE, ETC. 13 



Of very great interest to us in the Sudan are the epidemiological instances cited in Bacteriology 

 connection vpith Enteric Fever. These are as follows: — —,-niiiiviirii. 



Henrot (quoted in the Lancet, 1896, 1901, 1903, 1907) gives particulars of an epidemic 

 of typhoid fever which occurred in two regiments of cavalry quartered at Eheims. 

 During some mancEuvres the men rode over ground which had been manured with night-soil. 

 The weather was dry, and much dust was produced, which was inspired and swallowed by 

 the troops. A bad smell was noticed at the time. Shortly afterwards the epidemic broke 

 out amongst these men. The water supply was not to blame, as other people drinking 

 from the same source were not affected. 



In the British Medical Journal of November 10th, 1900, is an article on the outbreak of 

 typhoid fever at Quetta, India. At this place the water supply is derived from the hills and 

 was above suspicion. There was, as usual, freedom from typhoid fever up to May, but from 

 May 2nd to 13th there were dust storms. Sore throats and tonsillitis resulted, followed by 

 an outbreak of typhoid fever, some of the cases commencing with sore throat. The night- 

 soil was placed in pits to the north-west, from which quarter the prevailing winds blew, and 

 in the dry air the deposited matters were dried and blown about as dust. Those companies 

 suffered most who were nearest to the filth pits. The air coming from the direction of the 

 pits contained " large numbers of germs that are invariably present in fscal matter, and not 

 in pure air, although the enteric bacillus itself was not isolated." It appears, from a subse- 

 quent article in the issue of September 14th, 1901, that the outbreak ceased on the removal 

 of this source of infection. 



The foregoing examples, which could easily be multiplied, will suffice to indicate the 

 probable influence of desiccated products on the dissemination of disease. 



It is a pity that no reference is made to experiments with the bacillus of dysentery, 

 though this subject will be discussed in its proper place. It would be useful also to have 

 reliable data dealing with the combined influence of drying and high soil and atmospheric 

 temperature. 



The bacteriology of the common cold has been the subject of considerable work and 

 discussion. Miller^ confirmed work of earlier observers by showing that the organisms found 

 in catarrh are those normally present in the nasal mucous membrane. These were chiefly 

 Staphylococcus pyogenes albus, Streptococcus pyogenes and an undetermined diplococcus. 

 Staphylococcus pyogenes aureus, Hoffmann's bacillus and Bacillus subtilis were also found. 

 He points out the mechanism of infection, i.e. the chill, resulting lowered vitality of the 

 mucous membrane, disturbed balance between the tissues and the^erms, bacterial action 

 and the reaction of the tissues leading to the presence of leucocytes and antitropic bodies. 

 Treatment can only be successful in the incubation period, usually of 24 hours' duration, and 

 is to be sought in the inhalation of a volatile antiseptic such as eucalyptus oil. 



Benham," as the result of a specially careful investigation, found in a series of 27 cases 

 both Diphtheroid bacilli and the Micrococcus catarrhalis which was isolated by Hajek. He 

 thinks the former may be responsible rather for painful sore throat with headache, malaise 

 and muscular pains, irritable cough and scanty, viscid expectoration, than for the true coryza 

 symptoms. He suggests it be called Bacillus septus, or "Cautley's" bacillus, after its 

 discoverer, who named it B. coryza} seginentosus. Pfeiffer's bacillus was scarcely in evidence 

 at all, a point of considerable interest. 



Allen, ^ while pointing out that several organisms are operative, presses the claims of 

 Friedlander's bacillus and adduces evidence in its favour as being of etiological importance, 

 at least in the type of cold characterised by shivering, general depression and malaise, with 

 acute running from the nose and eyes. He admits that Diphtheroid bacilli may play a part in 

 cases with sore throat, cough and scanty, viscid expectoration. 



Gordon'' suggests that animal experiments might help to settle the question. In a 

 review'^ of the whole subject we find that, in 50 out of 56 cases examined, the B. coryzae 



' Miller, J. (May, 1906), " The Etiology of Coryza." Birmingham Medical Review. 



' Benham, Chas. H. (May 6th, 1906), " The Bacteriology of a Common Cold." British Medical Journal, 

 p. 1023, Vol. I. 



' AUen, R. W. (May 12th, 1906), " The Bacteriology of a Common Cold." British Medical Journal, 

 p. 1131, Vol. I. 



* Gordon, M. H. (June 2nd, 1906), " The Bacteriology of a Common Cold." British Medical Journal, p. 1193, 

 Vol. I. - i- • 



^ Gordon, M. H. (September 22nd, 1906), "The Bacteriology of a Common Cold." British Medical Journal, 

 p. 1318, Vol. I. 



