so OYSTERS AND DISEASE. 
Result of examination of i batch of Whelks. 
Whelks. 
Motility. 
Fermentation. 
Milk. 
Indol. 
Potato 
growth. 
Remarks. 
I 
Slight. 
o 
o 
Variable. 
Slight acid reaction 
in neutral litmus 
whey. 
The 5 batches of perhvinkles yielded no colon-Hke bacilli. 
The second series of results tends to confirm those of the first. In some instances 
there was almost a pure culture of the colon bacillus, the plate cultivations giving a 
very characteristic odour. It will be seen from all the tables that the "colon-like" 
bacilli isolated differ in some of their reactions. There are numerous examples of typical 
colon-like bacilli, coagulating milk, forming indol, gas, and giving a decided acid reaction. 
But there are several cases in which the bacilli are active, do not coagulate milk nor 
form indol, with very slightly acid or sometimes alkaline reaction. In these cases, 
which by their reactions approached the typhoid-like type, the serum reaction was 
carefully applied, but in no case was a positive result obtained. This indifferent colon 
group is of considerable interest, for it is quite possible that it might be confused with 
true typhoid. The tables also show that the oyster is more frequently liable to the 
presence of "colon-like organisms" than the other species of common edible shellfish 
examined. It is difficult to say what may be the significance of the so frequent appearance 
of this group of organisms. Dr. Klein is of opinion that the presence of the B. call 
in the oyster is strongly suggestive of fouling of the particular sample with material 
of excremental origin. We are not yet prepared to go so far as this until we have 
learnt more about the normal occurrence of this organism in the animal kingdom. 
V. — The occurrence of "Bacillus enteritidis sporogenes" in Shellfish. 
We have recently examined samples of shellfish (oysters, mussels, cockles, and 
periwinkles) from the Liverpool shops, and find amongst them the frequent occurrence 
of large spore-forming anaerobic bacilli with the characteristics of Klein's B. enteritidis 
sporogenes. The interest of this consists in the recent demonstration* by Dr. Klein, that 
this bacillus occurs in certain cases of diarrhoea, in sewage, in manure, &c., and that 
its presence in articles of diet may be taken as presumptive evidence of faecal contamina- 
tion. The Medical Officer, in his last report to the Local Government Board, sums 
up the present position when he says,f " He (Dr. Klein) has, he believes, ground for 
regarding this bacillus as primarily derived from excrement, and for considering its 
presence in water, earth, and the like, as a more trustworthy criterion of direct faecal 
pollution than the presence merely of B. eoli." 
* Twenty-seventh Annual Report of the Local Government Board for 1897-9S. Medical Officer's Supplement. 
t Loc. cit., p. 20. 
