CHAPTER XIV. 



TYPHOID FEVER. 



OTHER NAMES. ENTERIC FEVER : GASTRIC FEVER. GER- 

 MAN, TYPHUS ABDOMINALIS : ABDOMINALTYPHUS : 

 UNTERLEIBSTYPHUS. FRENCH, LA FIEVRE TYPHOIDE. 



Historical Summary. During the early part of the 

 bacteriological era many observers had described various 

 micrococci and bacilli, and even higher forms, as occurring 

 in the neighbourhood of the typhoid ulcers and in the 

 tissues generally, but the first definite descriptions of what 

 is now known as the bacillus typhosus appeared about 

 1 8 80-8 1, when the papers of Eberth, Koch, and Klebs were 

 published. On account of priority of publication and of 

 the general confirmation of his observations by later 

 observers, the credit of the discovery is generally assigned 

 to Eberth, and the bacillus typhosus is often called Eberth's 

 bacillus. This worker investigated in all forty cases of 

 the disease, examining especially the mesenteric lymphatic 

 glands and the spleen, and in twenty-two he found what 

 he considered to be characteristic bacilli. These are now 

 identified with the bacillus typhosus. They occurred in 

 the intestinal ulcers, in the spleen, and lymphatic glands. 

 Eberth came to the conclusion that they were not putre- 

 factive organisms, and further that they had a specific 

 relation to the disease, but he made no attempts to grow 

 them outside the body. This important step was taken by 



