Studies in Forage Poisoning V. 53 



horse, proved fatal, thus indicating that the toxin (unfiltered 

 broth culture) is not altered in the avian digestive tract, or that 

 the bacilli may survive and multiply within the feces after being 

 voided, with the characteristic toxin production. From their 

 observations they conclude that: 



"... while the few symptoms exhibited by the donkey and 

 horses that succumbed greatly resembled some of the characteristic 

 symptoms of forage poisoning, and while the postmortem findings are 

 yet more characteristic of this disease, it will require. further research 

 to establish a definite relationship to the natural or spontaneous so- 

 called forage poisoning. Certain it is that B. botulinus is capable of 

 producing a form of forage poisoning should conditions exist in nature 

 for the development of the organism and the elaboration of its toxin 

 as on pastures or in masses of feed material. We can see no good 

 reason why such a development may not take place." 



# Botulism in Man. 



In 1896 van Ermengem 6 demonstrated the etiologic rela- 

 tionship of an anaerobic bacillus, isolated from a ham, to a 

 profound and acute toxemia occurring in a group of persons 

 following the ingestion of this meat. Bacillus botulinus (botu- 

 Ztts^ausage) was the name given this organism. Kerner, Schloss- 

 berger, Weis and Mueller 7 previously recorded outbreaks of a 

 similar disease occurring in man after the ingestion of blood 

 and liver sausage. The infection caused by B. botulinus in 

 man is known as botulism, botulismus or allantiasis. In one 

 instance van Ermengem records the isolation of B. botulinus 

 from the stomach and spleen of a person fatally stricken with 

 botulism, altho in most instances the organism has been re- 

 covered directly from contaminated foodstuffs. The presence 

 of an anaerobic bacillus possessing similar biologic characters 

 in meat and other foods has been confirmed by Roemer 8 and 

 GaffKy 9 and no doubt by others, wherein serious and fatal neu : 

 ropathic disturbances and intoxications followed the ingestion 

 of meat, cheese, salads and other food products. The experi- 

 mental evidence of van Ermengem and other investigators 



6 Cent, f . Bakt. XIX, 1896; Zeit. f. Hyg-. XXVI, 1897 (cited by Hiss and 

 Zinsser). 



7 Handb. d. path. Mikroog., IV, 1912, p. 910. 



8 Cent. f. Bakt. XXVII, Bd. 27, 857, 1900 (cited by van Ermengem). 



9 Klin. Jahrbuch, Bd. 18, 91, 1907 (cited by van Ermengem). 



