THE FILTERABLE MICROBES 375 



30 minutes. It is quickly destroyed by hydrogen peroxide and^ 

 by menthol. 



Flexner and Noguchi 1 have obtained cultures of the organism 

 in ascitic fluid containing sterile tissue and covered with paraf- 

 fin oil, and in this medium rendered solid by admixture of agar. 

 The colonies are made up of minute globose bodies 0.15 to 0.30/4 

 in diameter. Similar bodies have been identified in the nervous 

 tissue from cases of the disease. It seems probable that this 

 structure is a living organism and the microbic cause of poliomye- 

 litis, especially as inoculation of monkeys with the cultures has 

 given rise to the disease. 



Poliomyelitis or infantile paralysis occurs in epidemics and 

 also sporadically, attacking children and young adults. It is 

 characterized by digestive disturbance and fever, which may be 

 very mild, followed by paralysis of one or more extremities as a 

 rule. Death may occur, but recovery with permanent paralysis 

 is the usual result. The mode of transmission is unknown. 

 Rosenau is inclined to ascribe considerable importance to the 

 stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans, as the transmitting agent. Other 

 modes, especially direct contact, food, and healthy carriers also 

 need to be considered. 



The Virus of Measles. Goldberger and* Anderson 2 in 1911 

 succeeded in inoculating monkeys with measles and demonstrated 

 the presence of the virus in the blood and in the secretions of the 

 nose and mouth, and in filtrates of these fluids. The organism 

 passes through the Berkefeld filters. The virus is destroyed at 

 55 C. in 15 minutes. 



The Virus of Typhus Fever. Nicolle, Conor and Conseil in 

 1910 transmitted typhus fever to monkeys by means of serum 

 which had passed through a Berkefeld filter. Ricketts and Wilder 

 failed to obtain infective filtrates in their study of Mexican ty- 

 phus. Typhus is an acute febrile disease, widely distributed but 

 not very prevalent in any locality. Apparently it is not con- 



1 Journ. A. M. A., 1913, Vol. LX, p. 362. 

 2 Journ. A. M. A. } 1911, Vol. LVII, pp. 971-972. 



