BLOOD AND THE IDENTIFICATION OF 
BACTERIAL SPECIES* 
By albert S. GRUNBAUM, M.A., M.D., M.R.C.P. 
INTRODUCTORY NOTE 
There seems to be some danger of GRt'NBAUM's name disappearing from the literature and 
from the text-books in describing serum diagnosis, in spite of the custom that when a discovery is 
made simultaneously and independently by two observers, both names are associated with it ; so 
that we have asked him to reprint his paper in 'Science Progress' on this subject. 
We are in a position to know that Grunbaum made his first observation three months 
before Widal's first publication, and the latter has refused, when asked to do so, to say when he 
made his first serum diagnosis. In any case, in his first papers Grunbaum described certain facts : 
e.g., (I) The action of human serum on bacilli other than the B. Typhosus. (II) Action of 
serum from other than typhoid patients. (Ill) Variability of strength of serum in typhoid patients 
from day to day, (IV) Necessity for accurate dilution and a time-limit ; these have formed 
the subject of more detailed observation by Widal and others without any reference or 
acknowledgement. R. Boyce. 
C. S. Sherrington. 
Die Unterzeichneten hestatigen gerne, dass 
Herr Dr. A. S. Grunbaum zu Anfang des Jabres, 
1896, an dam Krankenmaterial der I medicinischen 
Klinik in Wien systematische Versuche iiber die 
Agglutination von Typhus und Cholera-bacterien 
durch das Blutserum von Kranken und Gesunden 
angestellt hat, und dass er im Marz, 1896, also 
lange vor der diesbeziiglichen Publication des 
Herrn Widal, an zwei Typhust'dllen der Klinik 
die Beobachtung gemacht hat, dass ihr Blutserum 
in bedeutender Verdiinnung Typhusbacillen agglu- 
tinire. 
Herr Grunbaum war sich der diagnostis- 
chen Verwerthbarkeit dieses Befundes vollkommen 
bewusst, und er zogerte mit der Publication 
derselben nur mit Riicksicht auf die Nothwendig- 
keit die Verlasslichkeit der Reaction an ciner 
grosseren Anzahl von Typhusfallen zu erharten. 
Herr Dr. A. S. Grunbaum hat demnach 
die Agglutination - reaction des Typhus - Serum 
selbst-stiindig entdeckt und es ist Sache der Gerech- 
tigkeit dies anzuerkennen. 
Prof. Dr. Nothnagel. 
Docent Dr. Mannaberg. 
Wien, am 8. Marz, 1900. 
[Translation] 
The undersigned confirm with pleasure 
that Dr. A. S. Grunbaum made systematic experi- 
ments in the beginning of the year 1896, from the 
material in No. I. Clinical Ward, in Vienna, on 
the agglutination of Typhoid and Cholera Bacilli 
by the Serum of both Sick and Healthy people, 
and in March, 1896, that is, long before M. 
Widal's publication on this subject, he had 
observed in two cases of Enteric Fever in the ward 
that their Serum in considerable dilution agglu- 
tinated Typhoid Bacilli. 
Dr. Grunbaum was well aware of the 
diagnostic utility of this observation, and he 
dela)'ed publishing it only because of the necessity 
of confirming the reliability of the reaction on a 
larger number of cases. 
Dr. Grunbaum, therefore, discovered the 
agglutination reaction of Typhoid Serum indepen- 
dently, and to acknowledge this is a matter of 
justice. 
Prof. Dr. Nothnagel. 
Docent Dr. Mannaberg. 
Vienna, 8th March, 1900. 
* From 'Science Progress,' vol. i, No. 5, 1897. 
