SPIRILLUM CHOLERA 



Among the group of diseases caused by Spirilla the 

 most important is Asiatic Cholera. Attributed to 

 various miasmatic and parasitic influences it was not 

 until 1883 that the cause of the disease was traced 

 and identified by Koch in his study of the Egyptian 

 epidemic of that year. His later investigation of 

 an Indian outbreak confirmed the previous obser- 

 vations. 



Examination of the intestinal secretions of an 

 acute case of Asiatic Cholera and especially the 

 mucous flakes of the " rice water " stools shows the 

 presence, sometimes in almost pure culture, and 

 generally in preponderating proportion, of a small 

 comma or S shaped organism of somewhat varying 

 thickness and of very variable curvature (Fig. 75.) 

 The organisms are about V5 /x in length (from -8 n to 

 2 n) and *4 to "6 fi in width. In smear preparations 

 they are frequently arranged in groups with their 

 long axes more or less parallel, so that the group 



