415 



in. SPIRILLA. 



SPIRILLUM CHOLERA ASIATICS. 



(Kommabacillus, Bacille-virgule cholerigene.) 



Numerous investigations formerly made with the view 

 of finding the causal organism of cholera, which was 

 long suspected to exist, led to no certain results ; the 

 discovery of micro-organisms by Pacini in 1854, and by 

 Klob in 1867, were of no value. It was not till 1884 Koch's dis- 

 that Koch succeeded in discovering as the causal agent choiera f 

 of Asiatic cholera a peculiar species of bacteria which bacilli. 

 can be constantly demonstrated in the intestinal con- 

 tents and in the dejecta of those suffering from cholera, 

 and which is never found in the intestinal contents in 

 healthy persons, nor in those suffering from other 

 diseases ; it is exclusively limited to the cholera intes- 

 tine, and is present there in largest numbers the more 

 violent the disease. These bacteria are very small, 

 generally bent like a "comma," but at times forming 

 long screw-like threads, and they grow in nutrient gela- 

 tine, on plates and in puncture cultivations, in the 

 form of characteristic colonies which slowly liquefy the 

 gelatine. 



On examination of numerous cases of cholera, Koch Condition of 

 was unable to find, in the blood or organs, in 

 spite of the most careful investigations, any bacteria 

 which could be suspected as taking part in the infec- 

 tion ; this result might have been expected, as the 

 important pathological alterations only occur in the 

 intestine, and not at all, or only to a subordinate degree, 

 in the liver, spleen, kidneys, &c. (Virchow*). In the 

 intestine Koch found various alterations according to 



* Verhandl. d. Chol.-Conferenz., 2 Jahr, 1885, 



