iiS THE BACTERIA IN ASIATIC CHOLERA. [CH. vi. 



diagnostic value by means of the gelatine culture-test is of 

 necessity less important. 



The same applies also to cultures made on linen. Koch 

 is easily confirmed when he says that the examination of the 

 mucus-flakes of the bowel discharges, with which the linen of 

 a cholera patient becomes soiled, very often yields a good 

 result, for this represents in some instances what is practically 

 an artificial cultivation. If such mucus-flakes are taken off 

 the linen and kept damp for twenty-four hours they will be 

 found crowded with the comma-bacilli, and their true 

 character can then easily be determined by plate-cultivation. 

 But this result is not always achieved, for if originally but 

 few comma-bacilli and many other bacteria are present, the 

 latter will, particularly in hot weather, have so enormously 

 increased that of the original comma-bacilli very little or 

 nothing is left. 



Bujwid's and Dunham's colour test, described on page 1 1 1, 

 is also to be mentioned in connection with the diagnosis 

 and detection of the comma-bacilli. 



Bujwid 1 shows that the reaction is the more pronounced 

 the purer the culture in choleraic comma-bacilli is ; pure 

 cultivations of these bacilli in broth containing pure peptone 

 show after twenty- four hours' growth at 37 C. intensive purple 

 reaction with crude HC1. 



Gaffky 2 gives an account of an isolated outbreak of a 

 suspicious choleraic disease amongst some of the inhabitants 

 in Gonsenheim and Fimhen (near Mayence) during September 

 and October 1886 ; Dr. A, Pfeiffer had ascertained by micros- 

 copic examination and by the culture test the presence, in the 

 stools and in the contents of the intestine of some cases dead 

 of the disease, of comma-bacilli, having -all the characters 

 of the choleraic comma-bacilli. Gaffky confirmed this. 



1 Centralblatt f. Bacteriologie, IV. p. 494. 



2 Asbdtur ans d. A'ais. Gesund/mtsamte, II. Bad. I, 2, Heft. p. 39. 



