420 INFECTION AND IMMUNITY. 



infected The disease occurs especially in some European 

 districts in which improperly preserved or raw 

 meats are eaten. The term "ichthyosismus" is 

 applied to a similar or identical disease which is 

 caused in Eussia by salted fish. In 1895 von 

 Ermengem investigated a ham which had caused 

 50 cases of botulism, and isolated from it an anae- 

 robic, spore-forming bacillus, which produces a 

 soluble toxin capable of causing the entire symp- 

 tom-complex of the disease. 1 The organism pos- 

 sesses flagella3, has limited motility, grows only in 

 alkaline media, and in contrast to most pathogenic 

 organisms prefers a relatively low temperature 

 (18-25 C.). It is probably on account of its 

 physiologic activity at such temperatures that it 

 is able to produce its toxin in meats which have 

 been kept in a cool place. It is found in decom- 

 posed ham and various sausages (Leberwurst and 

 Blutwurst), and probably gains access to the meat 

 after the animal has been killed. Von Ermen- 

 gem investigated two hams from the same animal. 

 One was under anaerobic conditions being covered 

 with brine, while the other was exposed to air; 

 only the former was toxic. The organisms may be 

 absent from the superficial portion of the meat, 

 but abundant in the deep portion. The spores are 

 relatively susceptible to heat, being destroyed by 

 a temperature of 80 C. for one hour. Aside from 

 its occurrence in meat, nothing is known of the life 

 history of the bacillus. 



Toxin. The disease is caused by the toxin which has al- 

 ready been produced in the meat and not by the 



1. Other pathogenic organisms, especially B. enteritidis 

 and B. coli communis, and recently the paratyphoid bacil- 

 lus, have been found in poisonous meats. The term 

 botulism formerly was applied to various forms of meat 

 poisoning. 



