NOVEMBEK 25, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



737 



typhosus on the other, with the following 

 results : 



BACTERIOLOGY OF SHELLFISH. 



In one of our previous reports (B.A., 

 Liverpool, 1896) we drew attention to the 

 comparatively frequent occurrence of a 

 group of organisms giving the reaction of 

 the Bacillus coll, and also of a motile bacil- 

 lus, which, owing to the fact that it did not 

 behave like the Colon bacillus in all its re- 

 actions — i.e., formation of indol and gas 

 bubbles, approached somewhat the B. 

 typhosus type. Shortly after the publication 

 of that paper Dr. Klein drew attention, in 

 the verj' comprehensive Local Government 

 Board Report, upon ' Oyster Culture in Re- 

 lation to Disease,' to the frequency of the 

 presence of the Colon bacillus in oysters, 

 and in one instance to the presence of a 

 bacillus which, after most careful investi- 

 gation, could not be distinguished from the 

 bacillus of Eberth. Since that date we 

 have continued our investigations upon the 

 bacteria present in oysters, and have 

 further extended them to other shellfish. 

 We have examined, during the last year, 19 

 batches of oysters, 17 batches of mussels, 18 

 batches of cockles, 5 batches of periwinkles 

 and 1 batch of whelks ; these were obtained 

 from shops in various parts of Liverpool. 



Ifethods.— The methods employed were 

 similar to those detailed in our Report pre- 

 viously referred to, except that we availed 

 ourselves of the serum reaction, and we 

 desire to express our thanks to Dr. Christo- 

 phers, who especially undertook the inves- 

 tigation of the serum reaction in connec- 

 tion with all the ' coli ' and typhoid-like 

 organisms which were isolated in the Lab- 

 oratory. 



Results. — Oysters. — In nine out of the nine- 

 teen batches a colon-like organism was 

 isolated from the interior of the oysters. In 

 some instances there was almost a pure cul- 

 ture of the Colon bacillus, the Petri dishes 



giving a very characteristic odor. The re- 

 action in the nine cases differed ; there was 

 the typical colon group, coagulating milk, 

 forming indol and gas, and giving a decided 

 acid reaction, as well as an abundant 

 growth upon potato. There was also a, 

 group consisting of very active bacilli, not 

 coagulating milk, not forming indol, occa- 

 sionally forming gas, and in two cases giving 

 rise to a slightly acid reaction in neutral 

 litmus whey, and in three cases to an alka- 

 line reaction. In each suspicious case the 

 serum reaction was carefully tried, but 

 always with negative results. We conclude 

 that this latter group, although giving some 

 of the reactions of the typhoid bacillus, can- 

 not be regarded as identical with the true 

 bacillus of Eberth. 



Mussels. — The colon group is less frequent; 

 some of the bacilla isolated coagulated 

 milk, formed gas and indol, whilst others 

 gave negative reactions, as in the case of 

 the oysters. 



Cockles. — A colon bacillus was not iso- 

 lated. A coccus not liquefying gelatine, 

 growing at a temperature of 37° C, and 

 sometimes forming gas, was frequently met 

 with. 



Periivinkles. — As in the case of the pre- 

 vious group, a coccus was isolated. 



Whelks. — From these a bacillus was ob- 

 tained which formed gas at 37° C, did not 

 coagulate milk nor produce indol, and only 

 after four days produced a slight acid re- 

 action in neutral litmus whey; it, therefore, 

 resembled the second group found in the 

 oyster. 



These observations show the frequent 

 occurrence of the Colon group of bacilli 

 in such shellfish as we have investigated. 

 Moreover, they clearly indicate that some 

 of the organisms composing this group are 

 more closely related in their reactions to 

 the Bacillus typhosus than others are, al- 

 though none corresponded to that bacillus 



