CHAPTER XXVII 

 TYPHOID FEVER 



BACILLUS TYPHOSUS (EBERTH-GAFFKY) 



General Characteristics. A motile, flagellated, non-sporogenous, non- 

 liquefying, non-chromogenic, non-aerogenic, aerobic and optionally anaerobic, 

 pathogenic bacillus, staining by ordinary methods, but not by Gram's method, 

 not forming indol, acids from sugars, or coagulating milk. 



Typhoid fever, "typhus abdominalis," enteric fever, "la fievre 

 typhique," is a disease so well known and of such universal distribu- 

 tion, that no introductory remarks concerning it are necessary. 



The bacillus of typhoid fever (Bacillus typhosus) was discovered 







Fig. 247. Bacillus typhosus, from twenty-four-hour culture on agar. (From 

 Hiss and Zinsser, "Text-book of Bacteriology," D. Appleton & Co., publishers.) 



in 1880 by Eberth* and Koch,f and was first secured in pure culture 

 from the spleen and lymphatic glands four years later by Gaffky.J 

 Distribution. The bacillus is both saprophytic and parasitic. 

 It finds abundant opportunity in nature for growth and devel- 

 opment, and, enjoying strong resisting powers, can accommodate 

 itself to its environment much better than the majority of pathogenic 

 bacteria, and can be found in water, soiled clothing, dust, sew- 

 age, milk, etc., contaminated directly or indirectly with the intestinal 

 discharges of diseased persons. 



* "Virchow's Archiv," 1881 and 1883. 



t " Mittheilungen aus dem kaiserl. Gesundheitsamte," i, 45. 



j Ibid., 2. 



589 



