220 FOOD POISONING. 



in some the pain was partially relieved by strong pressure. The 

 most alarming phenomenon to the physicians in attendance was 

 feebleness of the heart's action. The hands and feet grew cold, then 

 the entire body became cool and clammy, and in many the radial 

 pulse was not perceptible. This condition, together with a heavy 

 stupor in some, gave occasion for alarm, and hypodermic injections 

 of brandy, digitalis, strychnin and nitroglycerin were employed, each 

 physician selecting the stimulant in which he had the most confidence, 

 or taking that which he had at hand. In one instance the patient 

 became wildly delirious, crying out and attempting to rise from the 

 bed. Those who vomited but little and had no diarrhoea fell into a 

 heavy stupor, and it is highly probable that these were in greater 

 jeopardy than the others. The early and thorough vomiting doubt- 

 less was the most potent agent in saving those who had taken the 

 larger quantities of the infected food. The toxin formed by the germ 

 found in this food is not destroyed by boiling. The germ which 

 produced this toxin bears a close resemblance to the colon bacillus, 

 but differs from a typical member of this group in the following 

 particulars: (1) The new bacillus failed to give the indol reaction. 

 (2) Both coagulate milk, but the new germ acts more promptly than 

 the colon bacillus. (3) The pleasant butyric ether odor of milk cul- 

 tures of the new bacillus is not developed in cultures of the colon 

 bacillus in the same medium. (4) The new germ grows abundantly 

 on carrots forming a creamy layer, and gives off a sour odor ; while 

 the colon bacillus grows much less vigorously and gives off no sim- 

 ilar odor. 



Undoubtedly there are many forms of the colon bacillus which 

 frequently find their way into milk and, on account of the toxin con- 

 tained within their cells, they render this and various other foods 

 of which milk is a constituent more or less poisonous. 



Sitotoxismus. — Under the heading of sitotoxismus we may include 

 all forms of poisoning with vegetable foods infected with moulds and 

 bacteria. All sitotoxicons are not bacterial products ; however, for 

 completeness we will briefly review the entire subject, excluding, of 

 course, all cases of poisoning due to admixture with mineral sub- 

 stances. We shall also attempt to exclude as far as possible all dis- 

 cussion of plants that are in and of themselves poisonous. 



Ergotismus, sometimes called ergotism, is due to poisoning with a 

 fungus known as claviceps purpurea, which develops in the flowers 

 of rye, other grains, and certain wild grasses. It is most frequently 

 found in rye and darnel. Early in the development of the rye flower 

 there may appear in its interior a sweet, unpleasant-smelling liquid 

 which sometimes forms so abundantly that it overflows, runs down 

 upon the stalk, and falls upon the ground. The sugar which it con- 

 tains attracts ants and other insects, and these aid in the distribution 



