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Scientific Proceedings (131) 



199 (2159) 



Friedlander bacillus bacteremia. 

 By O. W. H. MITCHELL. 



[From the Department of Bacteriology and Hygiene, Syracuse 

 University, Syracuse, N. Y.] 



Rare instances of Friedlander bacillus bacteremia have been 

 reported. Recently such an infection was encountered. The 

 following are the most important data. An Italian girl, eight 

 years old, was taken ill during the evening of March 19. All 

 day she had been apparently well and ate a hearty supper with 

 a large portion of egg-plant. At bedtime it was noticed that she 

 was somewhat shivery and feverish but did not appear definitely 

 ill. Went to sleep but at midnight was nauseated, vomiting and 

 shivering. Her people were up with her during the night and 

 in the morning she appeared quite ill. She was sleepy and dull. 

 There was considerable trembling and some stiffness of the neck. 

 She mumbled a great deal. A physician suspected meningitis 

 and sent her to the University Hospital of the Good Shepherd. 

 An examination of the spinal fluid gave normal findings. The 

 patient was under the care of Drs. Cornell Smith and A. C. Sil- 

 verman of the Pediatric Service. The physical examination was 

 negative except for the following: "Examination of the lungs 

 shows some harsh breathing in the upper right lobe, posteriorly. 

 Occasionally coarse, moist rales are heard. Respirations are 

 rapid and shallow, 52 to the minute. Pulse 160, temperature 

 103." 



A blood culture was made on March 21 at 4 p. m. The fol- 

 lowing morning growth was observed. The flask had the odor 

 of colon bacillus growth. In the hanging drop there was ap- 

 parently no true motility. Subcultures were made on the usual 

 media including lactose, dextrose and saccharose broth. The 

 subcultures on the solid media gave the appearance of the colon 

 bacillus. The growth was not particularly viscid. It was not 

 sticky or tenacious. Subcultures were more typical and grew 

 more luxuriantly. After standing five days the growth was 

 tenacious. All of the sugars were fermented rapidly and the 

 closed arm was almost completely filled with gas. This strong- 



