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samples were incubated for several days at 37° C., but neither developed any growth of bacillus coli or
typhoid.
2. On May 23rd Dr. Hamer brought two bottles of milk, one (a) labelled "from roan cow," the
other (b) "mixed milk." To 500 c.c. of each in flasks sufficient phenol was added for purposes of
detecting by cultivation either the bacillus coli or the bacillus of typhoid. On incubation at 37° C. the
milk in both flasks was found clotted after 48 hours. Subcultures were made, but only bacillus coli
was discovered.
3. On May 25th Dr. Hamer sent me two bottles of water, one was marked "A. from main
stream," the other "B, from ditch." Of each sample 1,200 c.c. were driven through a sterile Berkefeld
filter, then the material on the outside of the filter was brushed off into a few cubic centimetres of
sterile water, and the whole of this was used for cultivation in phenol gelatine and phenol broth. The
result was the demonstration of bacillus coli in both samples, in sample A very abundantly. In the
plates from sample A one other suspicious-looking colony was met with, which in almost all respects,
morphological and cultural, resembled the typhoid bacillus, and at first I was inclined to regard it as
such, but it commenced to liquefy gelatine after 6—7 days, and thereby proved itself to be a different
species.
4. A roan cow was received at the Brown Institution on May 29th. The animal was in firstrate
condition, its skin and udders perfectly normal; it fed well and gave ample milk of normal
aspect.
(a) On May 30th, after thoroughly cleaning the teats and udder (washing with soap and
water, then with carbolic lotion), and after cleaning thoroughly the milker's hands, milk was
received into a sterile beaker. Each of two flasks received 500 c.c. of this milk, phenol was
added, and the flasks were then incubated at 37° C. After 48 hours incubation plates were
made, but no typhoid bacilli could be discovered.
(b) On May 31st the milking was repeated, and the result of incubation was again
negative, two flasks, each containing 500 c.c. of milk, being used.
(c) On June 4th the experiment was repeated with the same negative result, two flasks,
each containing 500 c.c. of milk, being used.
(d) On June 6th the experiment was repeated, two flasks, each containing 500 c.c. of
milk, being used.
(e) On June 7th the animal was killed. Internally it was extremely fat, and the viscera
were all in perfectly normal condition. Cultivations were made—(1) From heart's blood;
(2) From the mesenteric lymph glands; (3) From the spleen; and (4) from the contents of
the ileum. The cultivations of 1, 2, and 3 remained sterile; those of 4 yielded no typhoid
bacilli.
E. Klein.