ABSTRACTS 



377 



Practical Points in the Prevention of Asiatic Cholera. Allen J. 

 McLaughlin. (Bost. Med. and Surg. Jour., 1916, 174, 483.) 

 The author describes a rapid method of testing for chronic carriers 

 of the cholera vibrio among immigrants. His steps are: inoculating 

 peptone solution, streaking out on agar, and agglutination, with the 

 possible use of Goldberger's enrichment solution. One hundred to 

 150 stools a day can be tested by one worker.— E. C. L. M. 



Diphtheria in Manila. A. P. Goff. (Journ. A. M. A., 1916, 66, 941.) 



As a result of a small outbreak of virulent diphtheria the Bureau of 



Science took more than 7000 throat cultures, finding 600 (or 9 per cent) 



positive for diphtheria. . . 



Of the carriers found, 4 per cent developed symptoms of diphtheria. 



G. H. S. 



The Etiology and Treatment of Rat-Bite Fever. W. Tileston. (Journ. 



A. M. A., 1916, 66, 995-998.) 



A case of rat-bite fever is reported. Organisms were found in the 

 blood by darkfield examination which closely resembled Streptothrix 

 muris-ratti. These organisms were to be found only during the febrile 

 paroxysm, examinations made during the intervals being uniformly 

 negative. 



The administration of salvarsan was followed by a cessation of the 



paroxysms. — G. H. S. 



Pathogeny of Diabetes and Fecal Disinfection. G. D. Palacios. (Medi- 

 cal Record, 1916, 89, 543-551.) 



The pathogeny of diabetes mellitus is a fecal putrefaction and a 

 fecal reabsorption of ammoniacal and acid character. Although fast- 

 ing and a very restricted diet are the best dietetic treatment of diabetes, 

 fecal disinfection is both preventive and curative. 



Intestinal putrefaction may be overcome in some cases by the acido- 

 genous Bacillus bulgaricus. In the tropical Atlantic region, an abso- 

 lute intestinal disinfection is effected by the ingestion of Micrococcus 

 oxycyanogenes. — M. W. C. 



The Etiology of Scarlet Fever. F. B. Mallory, and E. M. Medlar, 



(Jour. Med. Res., 1916, 34, 127-130.) 



In a short communication, the authors describe finding, in the crypts 

 of the tonsils, and in erosions of the epithelium of the tonsils, fauces, 

 soft palate, uvula, trachea and lung of a child dying of scarlet fever 

 on the second day following the eruption, clumps of Gram-positive 

 bacilli, together with streptococci. Similar organisms were found in 

 four other cases. The organism is best grown anaerobically on 3 per 

 cent glycerin, 0.5 per cent glucose serum-agar. The authors beheye that 

 the organism dies out rapidly or is overgrown by streptococci which ac- 

 counts for previous failures. In view of the lack of animal experiments 



