in ANALYSIS OF PLAGUE MATEEIALS 39 



officer of health, in view of the importation of plague by anomalous, 

 mild, or unrecognised cases, had requested the authorities of the 

 hospital to inform him when any cases of glandular swelling were 

 admitted for treatment. On March 17th the resident surgeon sent 

 Dr. Harris intimation of the Lascar's case. The medical officer 

 of health at once took material from the abscess in the groin and 

 sent it to the Board for bacterioscopic examination." 



The pus sent was examined in stained film specimens j it showed 

 numerous microbes: cocci, singly and in clusters; streptococcus chains; 

 some diphtheroid bacilli, and some oval rods showing distinct bipolar 

 staining. Agar plates (surface inoculation) were made, and a guinea- 

 pig was injected subcutaneously in the groin with a fair amount of 

 the pus. Next day the plates showed, besides colonies of cocci (albus 

 and aureus), a few colonies of streptococci, and a sprinkling of 

 colonies resembling those of B. pestis, viz. small, grey, watery, 

 raised in centre, with slightly irregular margin. When taken up 

 with the point of a platinum needle they were found viscid, and 

 placed in saline solution emulsified with difficulty. Examined in the 

 hanging drop they were found non- motile rods in clumps and in 

 streaks ; they showed in fuchsin staining (see above) distinct bipolar 

 character and were Gram-negative. Subculture on gelatine and on 

 agar produced typical growth of B. pestis. Patient recovered. 



The guinea-pig, injected in the groin, was quiet and slightly off 

 feed after twenty-four hours ; it had distinct soft swelling in the 

 groin, seemingly painful to the touch. With a pointed glass capillary 

 pipette a drop of sanguineous fluid from the subcutaneous swelling 

 was obtained; examined under the microscope in stained film 

 specimens it exhibited, besides a few leucocytes, a fair number of red 

 blood corpuscles and a very large number of oval to cylindrical 

 bacilli showing very marked bipolar staining ; they were non-motile 

 and gave negative Gram staining. 



On account of the typical character of the plague-like colonies 

 in the agar plates, and on account of the microscopic character of 

 the bubo fluid of the guinea-pig, the diagnosis was made : Pestis 

 bubonica. 



The subsequent subcultures on agar and gelatine of the bubo 

 fluid of the guinea-pig and the death of the guinea-pig on the third 

 to fourth day with all the typical appearances of plague in the groin 

 and spleen — which organs were crowded with B. pestis — confirmed 

 the correctness of the early diagnosis. 



