THE PHILIPPINE 



Journal of Science 



B. Tropical Medicine 



Vol. VIII 



DECEMBER, 1913 



No. 6 



BACTERIOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS MADE DURING THE 



OUTBREAK OF PLAGUE IN MANILA IN 1912 



By Otto Schobl 



(From the Biological Laboratory, Bureau of Science, Manila, P. I.) 



One plate 



During the recent outbreak of plague in Manila, I had the 

 opportunity to make certain observations which are of interest. 

 These observations were made in the examination of: (1) Spec- 

 imens taken from patients and from dead bodies at autopsies, 

 (2) samples of bloodsucking insects collected in houses where 

 plague patients had lived, (3) rodents caught by trap or poisoned 

 in the parts of the city where plague cases occurred from time 

 to time, and (4) domestic animals suspected of plague infection. 



BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF PLAGUE PATIENTS 



In order to secure as early diagnosis as possible, the following 

 procedure of investigation was adopted : 



1. The bubo was aspirated by means of a sterile hypodermic 

 syringe. The material thus obtained was placed in the water 

 of condensation of an agar-slant culture tube. 



2. At least 7 centimeters of blood were withdrawn from the 

 cubital vein by means of another sterile syringe, and 5 centi- 

 meters of it were placed in an Ehrlenmeyer's flask, containing 

 200 centimeters of neutral meat broth. The rest of the blood 

 was emptied into a sterile tube, and used for agglutination tests. 



Cultures obtained by this method were examined microscop- 

 ically, and the growths on various culture media were studied. 

 Gram stain, Loffler's methylene blue, and hanging-drop method 

 were used. Polar-staining and chain formation in liquid media 

 and the characteristic type of colony on the surface of agar were 

 looked for. Animal inoculation was performed in every case, 

 and the culture isolated from each case was identified by agglu- 

 tination test, rabbit's immune serum being used. 



The results of the bacteriological examination of a series of 

 24 patients are tabulated in the two following tables. Table I 

 includes the fatal cases and Table II those cases which recovered. 



122778 409 



