442 BACTERIOLOGY. 
to the laboratory, it is hardly worth while for the bac- 
teriologist to take the trouble to make the test. 
Typhoid Bacilli in the Urine. Of even more interest 
than the presence of the bacilli in feces is their frequent 
occurrence in great numbers in the urine. The results 
of the examinations of others as well as those of our 
own indicate that the typhoid bacilli are not apt to be 
found i the urine until the beginning of the third week 
of the fever, and may not appear until much later. 
From this on to convalescence they appear in about 25 
per cent. of the cases, and usually in pure culture and in 
enormous numbers. Of nine positive cases examined 
by Richardson’ two died and seven were discharged. 
At the time of their discharge their urine was loaded 
with typhoid bacilli. We have noted similar cases. In 
one the bacilli persisted for five weeks. Undoubtedly 
in some cases they persist for months. When we think 
of the chances such cases have to spread infection as 
they pass from place to place, we begin to realize 
how epidemics can start without apparent cause. The 
more we investigate the persistence of bacteria in con- 
valescent cases of disease the more difficult the preven- 
tion of their dissemination is seen to be. The disin- 
fection of the urine should always be looked after in 
typhoid fever, and convalescents should not be allowed 
to go to places where contamination of the water-supply 
is possible without at least warning them of the neces- 
sity of great care in disinfecting their urine and feces 
for some weeks. Richardson made the interesting dis- 
covery that after washing out the bladder with a very 
weak solution of bichloride of mercury the typhoid 
bacilli no longer appeared in the urine. 
1 Journal of Experimental Medicine, May, 1898. 
