472 DOROTHY F. PETTIBONE, F. B. BOGART AND P. F, CLARK 



tains in the hall without touching the metal portions with the 

 lips. 



An examination of these fountains showed them to be heavily 

 contaminated with streptococci. Positive results were obtained 

 from the surface of the fountain, from the inside, and from sam- 

 ples of the water. In fact, the swab from the inside of the bub- 

 ble fountain on the third floor, where the greatest number of 

 cases were located, gave an almost pure culture of streptococci. 

 Several examinations of the city water supplying the fountains 

 showed, on the other hand, no evidence of these organisms. The 

 sanitary character of the city water supply is excellent, the 

 water being obtained from deep wells in the Potsdam sandstone 

 which underlies all southern Wisconsin. 



Owing to a laboratory accident the identity of the organisms 

 found in the bubble fountain and those isolated from the cases 

 of tonsilitis was not established; and there were other cases of 

 streptococcus tonsilitis in the town and also scattered cases 

 throughout the University at the time. It seems a fair presump- 

 tion, nevertheless, that these heavily contaminated fountains 

 were a factor in spreading the infection within the dormitory. 



A subsequent investigation of all the other bubble fountains 

 in the University yielded surprising results. In examining the 

 fountains, the following observations were made : type of foun- 

 tain, height of column, bacterial count of the water on litmus 

 lactose agar and action in glucose broth fermentation tubes 

 which were subsequently examined for streptococci by the hang- 

 ing drop method and by Gram stained smears. In addition, 

 sterile throat swabs were rubbed thoroughly over the top of the 

 fountain and as far into the bulb as possible. These swabs were 

 placed in glucose broth which also was examined for streptococci 

 by the methods mentioned above. The swabbings proved to be 

 the most fruitful source of positive results. Only in a few in- 

 stances did the amount of water tested prove to contain strep- 

 tococci. Forty-three out of seventy-seven bubble fountains 

 (55.8 per cent) were found contaminated with Gram positive 

 streptococci which frequently occurred in long chains. 



Many different types of bubble fountains are in use in the 



