ENGLISH CHOLERA 293 



it has any relationship to this or any other disease-con- 

 dition in man. 



In February, 1896, a large number of persons suffered 

 from symptoms of poisoning in the borough of Mansiield, 

 and Dr. Buchanan was deputed by the Local Government 

 Board to investigate the outbreak. He found that there 

 had been about 218 cases, all traceable to potted meat 

 supplied by one maker. The incubation period was from 

 twelve to twenty-four hours. Diarrhoea was usually the 

 first symptom, and the stools were very dark in colour and 

 offensive. Colic was usually severe, and vomiting was a 

 frequent occurrence in the early stages. No fatal case 

 occurred. The majority of the patients were ill for a week or 

 more. The meat used was not always of the freshest, and 

 scrupulous cleanliness during the process of manufacture 

 was not observed. Samples of the potted meat submitted 

 to bacteriological examination by Dr. Klein were found to 

 swarm with organisms, but no one organism which could 

 be considered to possess specifically infective properties 

 was detected amongst them. The bacillus proteus and coli 

 were present in remarkable numbers. 



During 1895 an epidemic of diarrhoea occurred at St. 

 Bartholomew's Hospital. This outbreak was investigated 

 by Dr. Klein {Local Government Board Report, 1895-96), 

 who found in the dejecta of the sufferers, and also in 

 certain samples of milk to which the outbreak was traced, 

 an anaerobic spore-bearing bacillus having pathogenicity 

 for rodents. This organism he called the B. enteritidis 

 sporogenes. For cultural characters, see p. 441. 



Dr. F. W. Andrewes (Local Oovernment Board Report, 

 1896-97) has made a further investigation upon a number 

 of cases of diarrhoea to ascertain if the above organism 

 could be detected in the dejecta. He found that anaerobic 

 bacteria are not commonly' inhabitants of the normal 



