BIO-CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF BACILLI. 97 



developed in head, neck, and spread to trunk (not on arms). 

 About forty-eight hours after the onset, streptococci were 

 recovered from blood. Three days later, from a blood 

 culture taken in the same way as before, no streptococci 

 were found but staphylococci and the bacillus now under 

 discussion. Two days later the blood was sterile. The 

 patient was treated with an autogenous vaccine of strep- 

 tococci from which he seemed to derive much benefit. I am 

 inclined to think the Gaertner type bacillus may have been 

 a secondary invader in the lowered condition, which was 

 quickly killed off as the patient progressed to improvement. 

 It gives all the reactions of a typical Gaertner type organism , 

 including a negative indol reaction tested by the benzalde- 

 hyde method on the eighth day. 



Case II. (8789). — In faeces from a patient in hospital, 

 condition unknown, but as far as I can And out not typhoid, 

 paratyphoid or food poisoning, a Gaertner type organism 

 was found giving the typical cameleonage on litmus milk, 

 and not affecting lactose or cane sugar, and giving acid 

 and gas on glucose, mannit and dulcit. The fermentation 

 of salicin on the third day should be noted. The indol 

 reaction (benzaldehyde method) was strongly positive in 

 seven days. 



Case III. (Cat on). — This organism was recovered from 

 the faeces of a healthy man on a ship on which there had 

 been several cases of true enteric fever. It is distinguish- 

 able from the Gaertner type in that on salicin acid and gas 

 are produced, also dulcit and arabinose are not attacked up 

 to twenty-one days. The indol reaction was strongly 

 positive after a week's incubation (benzalehyde method). 



Case IV. (Pennington). — This organism was recovered 

 from the faeces of a healthy man on the same ship. At a 

 week's incubation it is indistinguishable from a true 

 Gaertner type organism. By twenty-one days dulcit and 



G— June 5, 1912. 



