474 



Mr. C. S. Sherrington. 



[June 16, 



XXXI. " Note on the Anatomy of Asiatic Cholera as exemplified 

 in Cases occurring in Italy in 1886." By Charles S. 

 Sherrington, M.B., M.A. Communicated by Professor M. 

 Foster, Sec. E.S. Received June 16, 1887. 



Last summer when cholera again appeared in Italy I determined to 

 seize the opportunity that seemed to offer itself for re-examining the 

 disease, especially with regard to some questions raised by the work 

 of the previous year. 



Although, on grounds which I have already detailed in a letter to 

 the Secretary of the Society, Professor Michael Foster, the conditions 

 imposed by the state of the country quite precluded the carrying out 

 there and then of trustworthy experiments with the living contents 

 of the dejecta and of the viscera of the cholera patients, still it was 

 possible to collect a satisfactory amount of anatomical material. The 

 results in this direction of an expedition, a part of the expenses of 

 which were generously borne by the Society, were promised to the 

 Society in the letter above alluded to. The investigation of the 

 material has now been completed, and may briefly be stated as 

 follows : — 



The material collected consists in all of specimens and preparations 

 made from twenty-five fatal cases. Of these cases twenty-two were 

 indubitable examples of rapidly fatal cholera asiatica. These were 

 obtained exclusively out of the Province of Puglia. The remaining 

 three cases were from Yenetia, and were in the opinion of myself and 

 Dr. Rouse, who in Venetia assisted me, not examples of true cholera. 

 At each autopsy the specimens taken for preservation and subsequent 

 detailed microscopical investigation were portions of the stomach and 

 intestinal canal at various points, of the thoracic and abdominal 

 organs, and of the mesenteric glands. From the contents of the 

 stomach and intestine preparations for the microscope were made at 

 the same time by the Ehrlich-Koch method. From the vomit and 

 dejecta of six moribund patients cover-glass preparations were also 

 made in the same manner. With regard to the hardening of the 

 tissues for microscopical examination, the portions of the tissue 

 preserved were at the autopsy carefully placed separately into speci- 

 men glasses containing absolute alcohol, and the alcohol was at the 

 end of six hours renewed, the specimen being at the same time quickly 

 cut into pieces never more than 3 mm. thick. The alcohol was then 

 changed at the end of twelve hours, and again at the end of twenty- 

 four, then not again for a week. 



The microscopical investigation has been carried on in the labora- 

 tory of Professor Virchow at Berlin ; in his debt I stand for muck 

 kindness and liberality. 



