472 BACTERIOLOGY. 



mixed with serum from typhoid cases, or from animals 

 artificially immunized from typhoid infection or intoxi- 

 cation. (See Agglutinin.) 



GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. In ail cases of Asiatic 

 cholera, and only in this disease, the organism just 

 described can be detected in the intestinal evacuations. 

 The more acute the case and the more promptly the 

 examination is made after the evacuations have passed 

 from the patient, the less difficulty will be experienced 

 in detecting the organism. 



In some cases the organism can be detected in the 

 vomited matters, though by no means so constantly as 

 in the intestinal contents. 



As a rule, bacteriological examination fails to reveal 

 the presence of the organisms in the blood and internal 

 organs in this disease, though exceptions have been 

 noted. 



Microspira comma is a facultative saprophyte; that 

 is to say, it apparently finds in certain parts of the 

 world, particularly in those countries in which Asiatic 

 cholera is endemic, conditions that are not entirely un- 

 favorable to its development outside of the body. This 

 was found to be the case not only by Koch, who detected 

 the presence of the organism in water-tanks in India, 

 but by many other observers who have succeeded in 

 demonstrating its growth under conditions not embraced 

 in the ordinary methods emploved for the cultivation 

 of bacteria. 1 



1 Obviously all pathogenic bacteria that have been isolated under 

 artificial methods of cultivation are facultative saprophytes. Were 

 they obligate parasites, their cultivation upon dead materials would 

 be impossiole 



