4 i 4 CHOLERA. 



the results obtained with the cholera organism from being used as a 

 demonstration of the specific relation of the latter to the disease. 



Within the last few years some additional facts of high interest have 

 been established with regard to choleraic infection of animals. For 

 example, Sabolotny found that in the marmot an intestinal infection 

 readily takes place by simple feeding with the organism, there result- 

 ing the usual intestinal changes, sometimes with hsemorrhagic peritonitis, 

 the organisms, however, being present also in the blood. It was found 

 by Issaeff and Kolle that young rabbits could be infected by merely 

 neutralising the gastric secretion with sodium carbonate, the use of 

 opium being unnecessary ; but of special interest is the fact, discovered 

 by Metchnikoff, that in the case of young rabbits shortly after birth, a 

 large proportion die of choleraic infection when the organisms are 

 simply introduced along with the milk, as may be done by infecting 

 the teats of the mother. Further, from these animals thus infected the 

 disease may be transmitted to others by a natural mode of infection. 

 In this affection of young rabbits many of the symptoms of cholera are 

 present great prostration, markedly subnormal temperature, some- 

 times anuria, and occasionally slight cramps before death. Most 

 frequently there is diarrhoea, though sometimes this may be absent, the 

 group of phenomena sometimes corresponding, according to Metchni- 

 koff, with cholera sicca. The organisms occur in large numbers in the 

 intestine, and in some cases a few may be found in the blood, and 

 especially in the gall bladder. Many of these experiments were per- 

 formed with the vibrio of Massowah, which is now admitted not to be 

 a true cholera organism, others with a cholera vibrio obtained from the 

 water of the Seine. 



It will be seen from the above account that the evi- 

 dence obtained from experiments on intestinal infection 

 of animals, though by no means sufficient to establish the 

 specific relationship of the cholera organism, is on the whole 

 favourable to this view, especially when it is borne in mind 

 that animals do not in natural conditions suffer from the 

 disease. 



Experiments performed by direct inoculation also 

 supply interesting facts. Intraperitoneal injection in 

 guinea-pigs is followed by general symptoms of illness, 

 the most prominent being distension of the abdomen, 

 subnormal temperature, and, ultimately, profound collapse. 

 There is peritoneal effusion, which may be comparatively 

 clear, or may be somewhat turbid and contain flakes of 

 lymph, according to the stage at which death takes place. 



