36 ■ Scientific Proceedings (109). 



filtrate and precipitate were found to be slightly bactericidal, 

 but neither equal to the original power of the alcoholic extract. 



It is evident, therefore, that this bactericidal substance in 

 rabbit bile for certain strains of streptococci, is present with or 

 identical with a bile salt, being precipitated by ether, and alcohol 

 soluble. However, since other types of bile do not give these 

 reactions which seem to be peculiar to rabbit bile, one must con- 

 clude that rabbit bile either has some substance in its composition 

 that is not found in other types of bile, or that its chemical con- 

 struction is different, thereby giving it this peculiar property. 



23 (1605) 



The viability of B. typhosus in alkaline bile in vivo. 



By T. D. Beckwith (by invitation). 



[From the Department of Pathology and Bacteriology, University of 



California.] 



In as much as Nichols suggests the use of alkaline therapy for 

 the purpose of eradicating B. typhosus within the gall bladder of 

 human carriers of the disease, the following observations are 

 pertinent. 



While carrying out a series of tests with experimental rabbit 

 carriers of typhoid, it was noted in a certain instance that the 

 hydrogen ion concentration of the bile was different from that 

 supposed to characterize the normal animal. This indication 

 was followed with other animals as opportunity presented itself. 

 P H determinations were made on the bile of uninfected animals 

 as materials appeared. The method followed was that of Clark 1 

 and Lubs with the comparator block introduced into the system. 

 Readings were made as soon after the death of the animal by 

 exsanguination as possible, generally within three quarters of an 

 hour. In order that contact with the air and consequent loss of 

 dissolved gases might be reduced to a minimum, the bile was kept 

 either within the closed syringe with which it had been aspirated 

 or was placed within a small bore agglutination tube. All animals 



1 Clark, W. M. and Lubs, H. A., Jour. Bad., 1917, ii, 1-34, 109-136, 191-236. 



