GENUS BACILLUS 327 



Bainbridge 1T has divided the food poisoning bacilli into 

 five sub- groups, namely : 



(1) B. paratyphoid (A), which stands alone in both its 

 cultural characters and its agglutination reactions. 



(2) B. paratyphoid (B), which is indistinguishable from 

 B. Aertryck and B. suipestifer in its cultural characters and 

 (usually) in its agglutination reactions. 



(3) B. Aertryck and B. suipestifer, which can not be dif- 

 ferentiated from one another and which appear to be merely 

 strains of the same micro-organism. 



(4) B. enteritidis Gaertner and B. Danysz, which can be 

 easily distinguished from the preceding sub-groups by their 

 agglutination reactions, but which are indistinguishable from 

 one another, and apparently also are only strains of the same 

 organism. 



(5) B. typhi murium has no existence as a definite organ- 

 ism, since different strains alleged to be B. typhi murium and 

 obtained from accredited sources were found to differ greatly 

 in their bacteriological characters. 



Bainbridge has studied these organisms in connection with 

 various viruses for the destruction of rats which he finds owe 

 their potency to one of two bacilli that are indistinguishable 

 from B. enteritidis. He concludes that phosphorus paste is 

 much more efficient than viruses and he believes that a certain 

 proportion of rats fed on the virus become immune and would 

 therefore be unlikely to succumb to a second infection. 

 Danysz 18 considers that certain meat poisoning bacteria are 

 quite efficient in the destruction of field mice and rats. He 

 questions the poisonous effect of this group of bacteria on the 

 human subject, as small and large quantities of food contain- 

 ing B. paratyphus or the Danysz virus have been eaten without 

 the slightest evil effects and the paratyphus organism is often 



"Bainbridge. Jour. Path, and Bact, "Vol. XIII (1908) p. 443. 

 18 Danysz. Brit. Med. Jour., 1909 i, p. 209. 



