vii.] PRODUCTION OF CHOLERA. 127 



comma-bacillus I shall return later on to experiments made 

 by Finkler. 



Hueppe has by recent experiments shown that the hen's 

 egg is the best and readiest means to obtain this toxic sub- 

 stance, by cultivating within it the choleraic comma-bacilli : 

 already after twenty-four hours a considerable quantity of this 

 substance (cadaverin) becomes available. In this respect 

 there is a decided difference between broth and gelatine 

 cultures and those carried on in egg. Further : not only the 

 choleraic comma-bacilli produce in this condition the toxic 

 substance but also Finkler's and Deneke's comma-bacilli 

 when cultivated in this same medium ; and that there exists 

 between these different species a difference only in the 

 quantity of the poison produced. 



We see, then, that there can be no question about the 

 presence in certain artificial cultures of the choleraic comma- 

 bacilli (particularly in serum-cultures four days old and in 

 egg-cultures) of a chemical ferment capable of producing 

 acute poisoning in animals, but the symptoms thus produced 

 are comparable with ptomaine-poisoning ; and further about 

 the fact that the production of such a ferment does not 

 appertain exclusively to cultures of choleraic comma-bacilli, 

 but also to other saprophytic organisms. 



That this ferment is not present in the mucus-flakes of 

 the cholera intestine, although swarming with the comma- 

 bacilli, that it is not present in sufficient quantities in broth 

 and gelatine cultures or in Agar-agar cultures, I have con- 

 vinced myself by a large number of experiments. Mucus- 

 flakes from a fresh cholera intestine swarming with the 

 comma-bacilli were injected in considerable quantities (one 

 half to one whole Pravaz syringe) into the small intestine of 

 dogs, monkeys, cats, and rabbits, into the jugular vein, and 

 into the peritoneal cavity, but without any result of poisoning. 



