CHAPTER XI 



TYPHOID FEVER (ENTERIC FEVER) 



TYPHOID fever is an acute infectious disease 

 characterized by lesions or ulcerations in the small 

 intestines, and by symptoms of profound intoxica- 

 tion often resembling general septicaemia, which is 

 due to the Bacillus typhosus. The bacillus of ty- 

 phoid was discovered by Eberth in 1880, and isolated 

 first by Gaffky in 1884. The B. typhosus belongs 

 to a group of organisms (colon-typhoid bacilli) 

 bearing a strong resemblance, which makes identifica- 

 tion often a matter of great difficulty. In the intes- 

 tines of all healthy individuals are found the Bacillus 

 coli, which is ordinarily a harmless saprophyte, but 

 closely resembles the B. typhosus both in appear- 

 ance and habits of growth. The other organisms 

 comprising the group are the para-typhoid bacilli, 

 the bacillus of dysentery, the Bacillus enteriditis, the 

 Psittacosis bacillus, the bacillus of hog cholera, and 

 others. 



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