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74
Outbreak of Milk-borne Diphtheria in
Upper Norwood.
NOVEMBER TO DECEMBER, 1913.
TABLE IV.
Special Bacteriological reports on the cowman's finger (ulcerated)
in connection with the infected Farm G.
No. ].—December 30th, 1913.
Smear preparations made from the lesion shew cell
debris with a fair number of diphtheroid bacilli and
micrococci. Tubercle bacilli are not detected. It will
be necessary to isolate the bacillus found in pure culture
so that cultural tests may be made to distinguish between
the Klebs-Lœffler bacillus and the common skin
diphtheroid organism, if possible. We shall also proceed
with a histological examination.
No. 2.—January 3rd, 1914.
Further Report. Histologically this ulcer is of a
purely inflammatory origin, showing dense leucocytic
infiltration of the tissues and much fibrous induration, as
if the lesion were of long standing. There is no evidence
of syphilis, tubercle or new growth.
The diphtheroid bacillus found in the cultures made
from this specimen is not the common skin organism of
this type, but the cultural characteristics as studied in
young cultures are similar to those of the Klebs-Lœffler
bacillus. Considerable numbers of the staphylococcus
pryogenes aureas are also present.
No. 3.—January 12th, 1914.
Further Report. The post-mortem examination of
the guinea-pig which was inoculated with a pure culture
of the isolated diphtheroid bacillus, and which was found
dead, showed the characteristic appearance of one injected
with virulent Klebs-Lœffler bacilli, while the
control animal injected with a similar amount of the same
culture, together with diphtheria antitoxin, is still alive
and shows no evident symptoms. In our opinion, the
organism is a virulent Klebs-Lœffler bacillus.
(Signed) Director of Laboratory.