34:4 THE BACILLUS OF TYPHOID FEVER. 



Brieger has made some very interesting researches with reference 

 to the chemical substances which are produced as a result of the 

 physiological processes attending the growth of this bacillus. 



Having obtained a culture from the spleen of a typhoid patient, 

 and assured himself by comparison with a pure culture given him 

 by Koch that he was dealing with the right organism, Brieger 

 planted the bacillus in a culture solution containing grape sugar and 

 salts Nahrsalzen in which it thrived admirably. Such a solution 

 at 30 C. became clouded at the end of twenty-four hours, and gave 

 off an evident odor of ethyl alcohol, which increased from day to day. 

 In addition to ethyl alcohol small quantities of the volatile fat acids 

 were produced among them acetic acid. Lactic acid was also 

 formed from the grape sugar. The bacillus grew still better in al- 

 buminous culture fluids. It did not in these give rise to the produc- 

 tion of sulphuretted hydrogen or of any of the volatile products of 

 putrefactive decomposition, such as indol and phenol. There was 

 no gas formation in such cultures, even after standing for eight 

 weeks, but a slight odor, resembling that of whey, was given off 

 from the cultures. Repeatedly, but not in every case, Brieger suc- 

 ceeded in obtaining from such cultures a very deliquescent basic 

 product. This was obtained in only very small quantities, even 

 when the cultures had remained in the incubating oven for a month. 

 The physiological properties of this base have convinced Brieger that 

 it is a new ptomaine. In guinea-pigs this ptomaine produced a slight 

 flow of saliva and frequent respiration. Later the animals lost con- 

 trol of their extremities and of the muscles of the trunk ; they fell 

 upon their side, but when placed upon their legs were able to move 

 forward a little ; they, however, soon fell again and remained help- 

 less upon their side. The pupils gradually became widely dilated 

 and failed to respond to light ; the flow of saliva became more pro- 

 fuse ; no convulsions occurred. Little by little the pulsations of the 

 heart and the breathing became more frequent. During the entire 

 course of these symptoms the animals had frequent liquid discharges. 

 Death occurred in from twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Post- 

 mortem examination showed the heart to be contracted in systole, 

 the lungs to be hypersemic, the intestine contracted and pale. 



The experimental evidence which we have presented, considered 

 in connection with established facts relating to the propagation of 

 typhoid fever, seems to the writer to be convincing as regards the 

 etiological role of this bacillus. 



No other organism has been found, after the most careful search, 

 in the deeper portions of the intestinal glands involved in this disease, 

 or in the internal organs ; on the other hand, this bacillus has been 

 demonstrated to be constantly present. It is undoubtedly present 



