488 



Col. Sir D. Bruce and others. 



[June 7, 



Isolation of the Micrococais of Malta Fever from the Spleens of Cases of 



" Muhinyo." 



The next thing to be iindertaken was the isolation of the Micrococcus 

 melitensis from the tissues of patients suffering from " Muhinyo." 



The spleens of two cases (925 and 926) were punctured in the usual way, 

 and the splenic pulp smeared on the surface of tubes of nutrient agar-jelly. 

 Small white colonies were grown from both cases, and these were sub- 

 cultured and used to study the morphology, cultural characters, and animal 

 reactions of the organism of which they were composed. 



Morphology. — Under the microscope the organisms were found to be minute 

 micrococci, indistinguishable in size or appearance from the Micrococcus 

 melitensis. 



Cultural Characters. — In the same way it was found that the sub-cultures 

 of the organism showed after some days as minute transparent colonies, 

 resembling tiny drops of dew, which afterwards became more opaque, and in 

 no way differed from colonies of Micrococcus melitensis cultivated under the 

 same circumstances. 



Animal Reactions. — The sub-cultures were also emulsified in saline 

 solution and injected into a monkey and rabbit. The monkey sickened with 

 fever, and when the agglutinating power of its blood was tested with the 

 strain of Micrococcus melitensis from Malta it was found to give a complete 

 reaction in a dilution of 1 in 200. Having thus proved that two animals 

 treated with the " Muhinyo " organism gave a serum capable of agglutinating 

 a known Micrococcus melitensis from Malta, the converse experiment was 

 made. 



A rabbit was inoculated with the Malta strain, and its serum tested on 

 the " Muhinyo " organism. This rabbit's serum, immunised against Malta 

 fever, agglutinated the " Muhinyo " organism in a dilution of 1 in 200 ; and 

 thus the proof that the micrococcus obtained from the spleen of " Muhinyo " 

 cases and that obtained from cases of Malta fever were identical, was 

 established. 



Examination of Goats from the " Muhinyo " District, to ascertain if they are 

 reservoirs of the virus of Malta Fever. 



By Widal's Reaction. — In Malta, the Royal Society Commission discovered, 

 in lOO;'), that the drinking of goats' milk was the sole mode of infection in 

 Malta fever. Many of the Maltese goats were examined, and 50 per cent, 

 of them found to be affected in some way l)y tlie disease, while [10 per 

 cent, were actually excreting the Micrococcus melitensis in their milk. 



