SPIRILLA RESEMBLING CHOLERA SPIRILLUM. 425 



A few examples may also be given of organisms cultivated 

 from cases in which cholera-like symptoms were present. 



The "vibrio of Massowah was cultivated by Pasquale from a case during^ 

 a small epidemic of cholera. This organism so closely resembles Koch's 

 spirillum that it was accepted by several authorities as the true cholera organ- 

 ism, and, as already stated, Metchnikoff produced by it cholera symptoms in 

 the human subject, and also the cholera-like disease in young rabbits. It pos- 

 sesses four flagella, has a high degree of virulence, producing septicaemia both 

 in guinea-pigs and pigeons, and its colonies in plates differ somewhat from the 

 cholera organism. Moreover, it reacts negatively to Pfeiffer's test. Another 

 organism, the v. Gindha, was cultivated by Pasquale from a well, and was at 

 first accepted by Pfeiffer as the cholera organism, but afterwards rejected, 

 chiefly because it failed to give the specific immunity reaction. It also differs 

 somewhat from the cholera organism in its pathogenic effects, and it fails to 

 give the cholera-red reaction or gives it very faintly. 



Pestana and Bettencourt also cultivated a species of spirillum from a num- 

 ber of cases during an epidemic in Lisbon — an epidemic in which there were 

 symptoms of gastro-enteritis, although only in a few instances did the disease 

 resemble cholera. They also cultivated the same organism from the drinking 

 water. It differs from the cholera organism in the appearance of its colonies 

 and of puncture cultures in gelatin. It has very feeble pathogenic effects, and 

 gives a very faint, or no, cholera-red reaction. To Pfeiffer's test it also reacts 

 negatively. Another spirillum {v. Romanus) was obtained by Celli and San- 

 tori from twelve out of forty-four cases where there were the symptoms of mild 

 cholera. This organism does not give the cholera-red reaction, nor is it patho- 

 genic for animals. They look upon it as a " transitory variety " of the cholera 

 organism, though sufficient evidence for this view is not adduced. 



We have mentioned these examples in order to show some of 

 the difficulties which exist in connection with this subject. It is 

 important to note that, on the one hand, spirilla which have 

 been judged to be of different species from the cholera organ- 

 ism have been cultivated from cases in which cholera-like 

 symptoms were present, and, on the other hand, in cases of 

 apparently true cholera considerable variations in the characters 

 of the cholera organisms have been found. Such variations 

 have especially been recorded by Surgeon-major Cunningham 

 in India. It is therefore quite an open question whether some 

 of the organisms in the former case may not be cholera spirilla 

 which have undergone variations as a result of the conditions of 

 their growth. That such variations may occur we have a con- 

 siderable amount of evidence. The great bulk of evidence, 

 however, goes to show that Asiatic cholera always spreads as 

 an epidemic from places in India where the disease is endemic. 



