Sept. 1, 1902.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
173 
THE i*:TIOLOGY OF TYPHOID FEVER. 
Dr. Tliomas Cherry, Lsctiirer on Bacteriolo^fy 
in the University of Melbourne, gave an addre-'s 
ou tlie Etiology of Typlioid before tlie sixth session 
of the Inter-colonial Medical Congress of Aus- 
tralasia, held in Hobart last February, in the 
course of which he ob-ierved that the study of 
the bacteriology of typhoid was rendered difficnlb 
from the fact that the disease was not readily 
transmiasible to any of the lower animals. The 
bacillus coli communis and tlie typhoid bacillus 
had so many points in common that they pro- 
duced similar reactions, and were to be regarded 
as members of the s ime group of baclei ia. One 
of the marked charactei i.sties of the group was 
the extent to which variation took place amongst 
the descendants of a single bacterial cell. Although 
there were several tests by which typical typhoid 
and colon bacilli might be distinguished from one 
another, the gap between the two was completely 
bridged over by a series of intermediate forms, 
amongst which was the B. enteriditis, orGaertner's 
bacillus. Many cases were on record which went 
to show the long periods of time that typhoid 
bacilli could exist without causing symptoms. All 
recent work tended to show that many mild cases 
of fever, often classed as febricula, were really 
typhoid, and might be an unsuspected means of 
spreading the disease. The airect evidence as to 
the mode of entry of the infection into the body 
was ecanty. From a recent analysis by Schiider 
of 650 epidemics, occurring chiefly in Germany and 
England, it appeared that 462 epidemics were 
due to water, 110 to milk, 23 to other food stuffs, 
12 to clothing or bedding, and 43 to other causes. 
Dr. Cherry stated that, whilst there could be mo 
question as to the origin of the great majority 
of epidemics of the disease, there was often diffi- 
culty in accounting for isolated cases. Some of 
these were so peculiar that it must either be 
assumed that the bacillus could exist in a virulent 
form in water or soil for several years, or else 
that the colon organism in the intestine became 
transformed into typhoid, or, at all events, into 
the intermediate form, and thus the disease aro«e 
de n»vo, as Murchison taught. Several tuch 
difficult cases were quoted and discussed. The 
actual mode of conveyance of the bacilli to tha 
patient might be by means of minute particles 
of foecal matter containing great numbers of 
bacilli which might get into water, or be carried 
on the feet of the flies on to articles of food, or 
be carried about in the dust, Dr. Cherry's general 
conclusions were as follows : (1) Many mild cases 
of fever, often classed as febricula, were slight 
attacks of typhoid, and might serve to distribute 
the contagion ; (2) typhoid fever itself might be 
a composite disease, or series of diseases, caused 
by closely-allied organisms ; (3) while from the 
bacteriological evidence the de-novo origin of the 
disease was not disproved, still a general survey 
of all the known facts enabled most case* to be ex- 
plained without having recourse to this hypothesis: 
(4) typhoid fever at once disappeared from a 
community with the introduction of a proper 
system of disposal of excrement and household 
refuse ; in towns this could best be done by a 
properly-constructed water-carriage system of 
sewage ; (5) the disease was spread chiefly by the 
contamination of water, milk, and other articles 
of food ; in hot countries, at least, flies and dusb 
bad a considerable share in bringing about this 
CODtamia&tion ; (6) tha leogth vf time during 
which the bacilli could exist outside the body was 
unknown ; there was evidence to show that the 
contagion hung about old cesspits and contaminated 
soil for several years. — British Medical Journal, 
May 17. 
RUBIES AND GOLD. 
Sir L°p=l H. GrifSii presided at the meeting oi 
the Bm-ma Ruby Mines, Limited, on Jane 14. 
He a\\i the directors had hoped to have been able 
to pay Boraething on the founders' shares, and to 
provide for the commeaoeraeaC of a reserve fund, 
which wa^ exceedingly desirable, aa no mining opera- 
tions could be couduoted with full eecurity with- 
out a reserve fund; but they had not seen their way 
to do so. It misjht seem from the dividend proposed 
that they had had a very prosperous year. From 
one point of view that was no doubt the case, and 
they had at last reachr'd the point— wliich he had 
prophesied for .two years — of wattling over 1,000,000 
trucks of ruby earth during the year. Ou the other 
hand, it had not been a satisfactory year from many 
comiderations. As business men the shareholders 
would be aware of the diffijulties which industrial 
institutions of all kinds had met with during the past 
two years, India had passed through, and was still 
passing through, a time of great distress and anxiety. 
It had suffered very largely from plague, famine, and 
the influences of the war. The consequence had been, 
and this was the reason why they were not declaring a 
dividend on the founders' shares, that the local trade 
in rabies had almost entirely ceased. There were 
large stocks in hand which, if they had all 
been sold, would have enabled the company to 
pay a dividend of 20 per cent. Bat they remained on 
hand, and no doubt as matters improved, with the 
wearisome war at an end, and with things looking 
more flourishing in India, the company might hope 
to share in the prosperity which he could foresee and 
prophesy for all English industrial institations. The 
company had not been successful with regard to its 
experiments in plumbago mining. They had 
not spent very much on it, and having 
tsken expert advice, had decided that 
aa they were a ruby-mining company principally, 
they would stop working for plumbago. There was 
plenty of plumbago, but it was not of that flake 
chsracter which was of the highest value, and amor- 
phous plumbago at present prices would hardly pay 
to extract and export. Perhaps in the future, when 
they had more leisure and more money, they might 
try again in other places, and perhaps get better 
results. They were making some experiments without 
much expense in the matter of gold mining. There 
was a good deal of gold in Burma, and though he did 
not wish to raise any hopos, he could say that the 
experiments they had made were satisfactory. It was 
thou ght necessary before any great expsnsa was in- 
earredto gat a new lease from the Government, as their 
lease had only a few years to run. Application had been 
made for a new lease for 30 years, and, bearing in 
mind the attitude of the Governor-General in 
favouring English companies, they had every reason to 
anticipate that their application woald be successful 
Until that was settled they must delay any large and 
extensive works. In conclusion he had to tell the 
meeting that they had received a telegram from the 
manager stating that the returns from the new mine 
at Ohoangione were now very satisfactory, and that 
the returns were very much improving. Mr Carl 
Meyer seconded the resolution for the adoption of the 
report, which was carried unanimously. — OvcrlarvH 
Mail, July 4. 
FISH CULTURE IN CEYLON. 
We call the attention of the Ceylon 
Fishing Club Committee to the following im- 
portant letter addressed to th^ Editor oi tli« 
