MICROSPIRA COMMA ' 539 



few that had been buried in moist earth, without having 

 been encased in boxes, when exhumed after two or three 

 months, the results of examinations for cholera spirilla were 

 likewise negative. 



Esmarchi found that when the cadaver of a guinea-pig 

 dead after the introduction of cholera organisms into the 

 stomach was immersed in water until decomposition was 

 far advanced, it was impossible to find any living microspira 

 comma by the ordinary plate methods. Several experi- 

 ments resulted in their disappearance in five days. In one 

 experiment, in which decomposition was allowed to go on 

 without the animal being immersed in water, none could be 

 detected after the fifth day. 



Kitasato^ found that when mixed with the normal intes- 

 tinal evacuations of human beings it lost its vitality in from 

 a day and a half to three days. If the evacuations were 

 sterilized before the cultures were mixed with them it 

 retained its vitality from twenty to twenty-five days. 



Hesse' and Celli^ demonstrated that many substances 

 commonly employed as food serve as fa^'o^able materials 

 for the development of the cholera organisms. 



Kitasato'^ found that at 36° C. microspira comma devel- 

 oped very rapidly in milk during the first three or four 

 hours, and outnumbered the other organisms commonly 

 present. It then diminished in number from hour to hour 

 as the acidity of the milk increased, until finally its vitality 

 was lost; at the same time the common saprophytic bac- 

 teria increased in number. Relatively the same process 



' V. Esmaroh, Zeitschrift filr Hygiene, Bd. vii, S. 1. 



2 Zeitschrift filr Hygiene, Bd. v, S. 487. 



' Ibid., S. 527. 



« Bolletino della R. Acad. Med. di. Roma, 1888. 



6 Zeitschrift flir Hygiene, Bd. v, S. 491. 



