414 A MANUAL OF BACTERIOLOGY 



formation is limited to glucose, fructose, galactose, sucrose, 

 maltose and glycerol ; lactose is not fermented. Indole is 

 generally > and hydrogen sulphide always, formed. The organisms 

 are non-haemolytic. 



The natural habitat of the Proteus group is decaying organic, 

 particularly protein, matter, putrefactive decomposition of which 

 is induced under aerobic conditions. Proteus occasionally causes 

 abscess, cystitis and peritonitis, and is not infrequent in dirty 

 wounds. Hauser originally described three species of Proteus, 

 butWenner and Eettger consider that only two can be recognised, 

 viz. P. vulgaris, fermenting maltose, and P. mirabilis, not ferment- 

 ing maltose. P. zenkeri, they consider, is identical with B. zopfii ; 

 neither liquefies gelatin nor ferments carbohydrates. It should 

 be placed in the genus Zopfius. 



Typhoid Fever 



The specific organism of typhoid or enteric 1 fever is a 

 bacillus originally described by Eberth in 1880, and more 

 closely studied by Gaffky in 1884. 



The Eberth-Gaffky bacillus, or Bacillus typhosus 

 [Bacterium typhosurri], is best observed in sections of the 

 spleen, in which it occurs in groups or colonies consisting 

 of short rods, each measuring about 3 ^ in length. It may 

 also be demonstrated in the mesenteric glands (Plate 

 XIII, 6), liver, and in the swollen Peyer's patches before 

 liberation. 



Pure cultivations may be obtained from the blood 

 (p. 430), from the spleen by puncture (p. 434), sometimes 

 from the urine or fseces, or from the spleen of a cadaver. 

 In the latter case, the organ is cauterised with a red-hot 

 iron in order to sterilise the surface, an incision is made 

 with a sterilised knife through the cauterised area, and a 

 loopful of the splenic pulp is inoculated on to tubes or 

 plates, preferably of litmus lactose, Conradi-Drigalski, or 



1 It has been suggested to include both typhoid fever and the paratyphoid 

 fevers under the term " enteric fevers." 



