424 CHOLERA. 



Another organism, the v. Gindha, was cultivated by Pasquale from a 

 well, and was at first accepted by PfeirTer as the cholera organism, but 

 afterwards rejected, chiefly because it failed to give the specific im- 

 munity reaction. It also differs somewhat from the cholera organism 

 in its pathogenic effects, and it fails to give the cholera-red reaction 

 or gives it very faintly. 



Pestana and Bettencourt also cultivated a species of spirillum from a 

 number of cases during an epidemic in Lisbon an epidemic in which 

 there were symptoms of gastro-enteritis, although only in a few instances 

 did the disease resemble cholera. They also cultivated the same 

 organism from the drinking water. It differs from the cholera organism 

 in the appearance of its colonies and of puncture cultures in gelatine. 

 It has very feeble pathogenic effects, and gives a very faint, or no, 

 cholera-red reaction. To Pfeiffer's test it also reacts negatively. 

 Another spirillum (v. Romanus) was obtained by Celli and Santori 

 from twelve out of forty-four cases where there were the symptoms of 

 mild cholera. This organism does not give the cholera-red reaction, 

 nor is it pathogenic for animals. They look upon it as a " transitory 

 variety " of the cholera organism, though sufficient evidence for this 

 view is not adduced. 



We have mentioned these examples in order to show 

 some of the difficulties which exist in connection with this 

 subject. It is important to note that, on the one hand, 

 spirilla which have been judged to be of different species 

 from the cholera organism, have been cultivated from cases 

 in which cholera-like symptoms were present, and on the 

 other hand, in cases of apparently true cholera considerable 

 variations in the characters of the cholera organisms have 

 been found. Such variations have especially been recorded 

 by Surgeon-Major Cunningham in India. It is therefore 

 quite an open question whether some of the organisms in 

 the former case may not be cholera spirilla which have 

 undergone variations as a result of the conditions of their 

 growth. That such variations may occur we have a con- 

 siderable amount of evidence. The great bulk, however, 

 of evidence goes to show that Asiatic cholera always spreads 

 as an epidemic from places in India where the disease is 

 endemic, and that its direct cause is Koch's spirillum. It 

 is sufficient to bear in mind that choleraic symptoms may 

 be produced by other causes, and that in some of such 

 cases spirilla which have some resemblance to Koch's 



