191 2\ 



FATE OF TUBERCLE BACILLI OUTSIDE THE ANIMAL BODY 



357 



tuberculosis, save those that died too early with acute infection. 

 The two guinea pigs used in the third test, made 99 days af- 

 ter exposure, remained healthy. Probably only non-tuberculous 

 tissue was obtained for this test. Later tests taken from broken- 

 down tissues showed virulent tubercle bacilli. The tests were 

 positive up to the 32ist day; after this date the test animals 

 all died with acute infection, the last one,, however, not too 

 early to have shown tubercle bacilli. On the 229th day and 

 later no structure of tissue could be determined except the hair 

 and bones, and the bones were almost as fragile as garden earth. 

 Sediment from the bottom of the flower pot was obtained for the 

 samples. 



Tuberculous Sputum 



To determine the length of time that tubercle 

 bacilli from tuberculous sputum will live in run- 

 ning water, a sample was obtained from an ad- 

 vanced case of tuberculosis. A stained smear of this sputum 

 showed numerous bacilli. A very small sample was inoculated into 

 a guinea pig the first day of exposure. This guinea pig died in 

 three days of acute infection. 



RESULTS The results are given in Table 29. Tuberculosis 



has been produced in the test animals up to the 

 last test, 232 days since exposure. However, only local tubercu- 

 losis was produced at this last test and there has not been sufficient 

 time to determine whether the organisms are alive or dead. The 

 test made just previous to the last one, 187 days after exposing 

 the sputum in, water, produced severe generalized tuberculosis in 

 Guinea Pig No. 1126 (see Fig. 4). 



SOURCE OF 

 SAMPLE 



TABI,E 29. TUBERCLE BACILLI IN WATER 



