196 



The attending physician, noting that most of his patients had 

 come into recent contact with rat virus (B. typfii murium) and sus- 

 pecting that to be responsible, sent specimens of stools to the Hygienic 

 Institute at Munich, where they were carefully examined with reference 

 to this subject. 



Organisms identical with Loeffler's B. typhi murium were isolated 

 from the two stools examined and these cultures were compared 

 with and conformed with a culture of B. typhi murium obtained 

 from Loeffler and also a culture from the virus on the local market. 



Two guinea pigs injected with cultures from the two stools gave, 

 after the second injection, serum which agglutinated all the above 

 organisms 1 : 200. A mouse typhoid serum obtained from Loeffler 

 agglutinated all the above strains distinctly in dilutions 1 : 640 and 

 slightly in 1:1280. 



In conclusion, the author considers three possibilities: 1. The 

 mouse typhoid bacillus was the cause of the illness. 2. The bacillus 

 was accidentally present, having no part in the production of the 

 symptoms. 3. The bacillus was able to multiply only in case pre- 

 existing intestinal trouble; then, however, causing the inflammation. 



The case of Mayer, who became infected during the course of some 

 laboratory experiments, is particularly instructive. 



During an epidemic of mouse typhoid among his laboratory mice, 

 evidently spread from some inoculated mice by ants, Mayer who 

 had personally handled the infected mice and their cages, became 

 sick July 15, just seven days after the first appearance of the ants 

 and after the observed rise in virulence of the mouse typhoid among 

 the mice. His clinical history is as follows: 



July 15: Weakness, epigastric pain, obstipation, temperature 37.7, 

 pulse 90. 



July 16: Slight diarrhea, increase of pain in region of trans-colon, 

 temperature 38.3, pulse 98. 



July 17: Diarrhea continued, pains increased severe, chill in 

 evening, temperature 39.1, pulse 102. 



July 18: Obstipation, symptoms worse, chill again in evening, 

 temperature 39.4, pulse 104. 



July 19: Symptoms better, stools from purgative, evening tem- 

 perature 36.9, pulse 68. 



July 20: Left bed. Temperature and pulse normal, but weakness 

 and slight epigastric pains continued till August 7. 



"Mayer, Georg: Ueber die Verschleppung typhoser Krankheiten durch Ameisen 

 und die Pathogenitiit des Loffler'schen Mausetyphusbazillus fur den Menschen. 

 Miinch. med. Woch., vol. 52, 1905, p. 2261. 



