154 APPLIED BACTERIOLOGY 



The Bacteeiological Diagnosis of Typhoid Fever. 



Dr. Eisner, of Berlin, has recently published* the results 

 of an investigation made to ascertain the possibility of the 

 early recognition of enteric fever by the bacteriological 

 examination of the stools. He has been able to recognise 

 the Eberth-Gafiky bacillus, in some cases in so short a 

 time as forty-eight hours after starting the culture. The 

 following is an abstract of Dr. Eisner's paper. 



The author went over the existing methods for the 

 separation of B. coli and typhosus from other organisms 

 and from each other, with no better results than have been 

 previously obtained. In all cases but one he found that 

 either persistent organisms other than those sought to be 

 isolated would grow to an extent sufBcient to spoil the 

 plate (e.g., B. proteiis or ramosus), or else the B. coli would 

 develop to an extent capable of preventing the recognition 

 of the typhoid bacillus. The exception was potato gelatine, 

 slightly acid, and mixed with 1 per cent, of iodide of potas- 

 sium. The process recommended is to boil potato decoc- 

 tion (0"5 kilogramme to 1 litre water) with ordinary gelatine, 

 add normal sodium hydrate solution till a definite acidity 

 is obtained, filter and sterilise ; adding 1 per cent, potassic 

 iodide before using, inoculating into the medium, and pour- 

 ing plates from it. The method of Holz is recommended for 

 the reduction of acidity ; thus, 2'5 to 3'0 c.c. of decinormal 

 sodium hydrate solution is added to 10 c.c. of gelatine 

 until only a faintly acid reaction is left, which increases 

 on sterilisation, and must, of course, be again tested after 

 that operation, litmus being recommended as the indicator. 

 With this medium the author examined all the waters he 

 could obtain, and he found that even the B. proteus and 

 ramosus, which on carbolised gelatine would always grow, 



* Zeitschr. f. Hyg., xxi., 1. 



