THE MICROBIAL TOXINS. 8 1 



bacillus. This toxin, injected into guinea-pigs, 

 develops in them typhoid fever. 



In the solution there occurs a ptomaine, which 

 has been isolated by Brieger, and which gives rise 

 to almost all the phenomena of typhoid fever; this 

 ptomaine is called typhotoxin* 



The same author, in collaboration with Fraenkel,t 

 later on isolated a toxalbumin from the culture 

 bouillon of the typhoid bacillus. Sanarelli { ob- 

 tained an active toxin by macerating for several 

 days at 60° C. a month-old culture of the typhoid 

 bacillus made with a 2 -per cent, glycerin -bouillon. 

 Chantemesse has also published a process which 

 yields a highly virulent toxin. § 

 • Chantemesse and Widal || have shown that on 

 injecting into an organism increasing quantities 

 of the sterilized cultures of Eberth's Bacillus, it is 

 possible to fully immunize an animal against the 

 bacillus itself, and even also against the Bacillus 

 coli communis. The operation, however, is tedious 

 and painful. The serum of immunized animals 

 possesses preventive and curative properties respect- 

 ing the effects of typhoid bacilli. 



* Brieger: Microbes, Ptomaines et Maladies, Doin, publ., 

 Paris, 1887; Luff: Brit. Med. Journ., 1889. 



^Berlin. Klin. Wochenschr., 1890. 



J Annal. de I'Instit. Pasteur, viii, p. 103. 



§ Compt. rend. Soc.~de Biol., p. 232, Jan. 30, 1897. Congris 

 d'Hygi^ne de Madrid, i8g8. 



\\ Annal. Instit. Pasteur, vi, p. 755; Sanajielli: Ibid., p. 721. 



