92 BACTERIAL POISONS OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES. 



other reagents which were found to be possessed by the proteid ob- 

 tained from cultures of x. 



The proteid of J. is peculiar, inasmuch as it is practically insoluble 

 in water. 



All these proteids are highly poisonous, and when injected under 

 the skin of kittens or dogs cause vomiting and purging, and, when 

 employed in sufficient quantity, collapse and death. Post-mortem 

 examination shows the small intestine pale throughout and con- 

 stricted in places. The heart is found to be in diastole and filled 

 with blood. The following brief notes from the record of experi- 

 ments illustrate the nature of the symptoms and the post-mortem 

 appearances : 



A small amount of proteid from bacillus x, dissolved in water, 

 was injected under the skin on the back of a kitten about eight 

 weeks old. Within one-half hour the animal began to vomit and 

 purge, and death resulted within eighteen hours. The small intes- 

 tines were pale, contracted in places, and contained a frothy mucus. 

 The stomach was distended with gas and contained yellowish mucus. 

 The liver appeared normal, the spleen and the kidneys congested, 

 and the heart distended. , 



Another kitten was treated with a proteid from bacillus a dis- 

 solved in water. The vomited and fsecal matters in this case were 

 green. The animal died after fifteen hours, and presented appear- 

 ances practically identical with those mentioned above. 



A third kitten was treated with some of the proteid of bacillus A, 

 suspended in water, and presented substantially the same symptoms 

 and post-mortem appearances. 



A fourth animal was treated in the same manner as above with 

 the proteid prepared from some canned meat. This was done as 

 a control on the above experiment, and the kitten remained unaf- 

 fected, thus demonstrating the fact that the poisonous properties 

 are peculiar to the bacterial proteids. 



Concerning the amount of these proteids necessary to produce fatal 

 results in the animals experimented upon, the following statement may 

 be made : Under the skin on the back of a guinea-pig 10 mg. of the 

 dry scale proteid from bacillus a was injected, and caused death 

 within twelve hours. Of two kittens treated with 15 mg. each of 

 the o-albumin, one died after forty-eight hours, and the other re- 

 covered after two days of purging and vomiting. Two dogs, of 

 about five pounds' weight, had each 40 mg., and after serious illness 

 of two days' duration, recovered. During these two days of purging 

 and vomiting the dogs were constantly shivering as with cold, but 

 the rectal temperature stood at from 102.6° to 103.5° F. There 

 was in no case any sign of inflammation at the point of injection. 

 Plate cultures were made from the proteids themselves, and from the 

 blood, liver, spleen, and kidneys of some of the animals killed with 



