128 THE ACUTE SELF-LIMITED INFECTIONS 



existence of the germs in the mucous membrane giving off 

 poisonous products of their life, and to a greater degree by 

 the poisons liberated upon their disintegration. The poisons 

 are absorbed into the blood, giving rise to an irregular fever 

 in which sudden drops are common. This sudden fall of 

 temperature may be observed in animals receiving doses of 

 the poison. 



Dysentery is transmitted like other diarrheal disorders, 

 that is, by the pollution of food and drink by discharges 

 of patients, since the germs leave the body only by the feces. 



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-% r y ' 





FIG. 39. Dysentery bacilli. X 1000 diameters. (Park.)! 



Disinfection of excreta, clothes, utensils, and hands should 

 be done as for cholera. After an attack persons may be carriers 

 and disinfection of stools should not cease upon clinical 

 recovery but upon clearance by laboratory examination of 

 the feces. 



The blood acquires some resistance to dysentery bacilli 

 during an attack, comparable closely to the changes in 

 cholera, that is bacteriolytic substances and agglutinins are 

 to be found. Advantage of this is taken in immunizing the 

 lower animals with toxins obtained in laboratory cultures. 

 In order to discover if dysentery bacilli be present, laboratory 



