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The small portion of Cheese which accompanied the larger portion, and which was
supposed to be a portion of the Cheese actually consumed by those who were taken ill,
was extracted, but no ptomaine was found present.
The result of my examination therefore is, that neither by physiological nor chemical
tests have I been able to isolate any ptomaine having a harmful action upon mice, the
inference being that there was no ptomaine present in the Cheese which would have an
injurious effect upon human beings.
(Signed) WALTER C. C. PAKES.
On receipt of the above information I at once communicated with the two
City firms concerned, and found them willing and anxious to assist in every
possible way the investigation. The shipper was traced, and also the actual
maker of the Cheese in Holland, who came over to London and called upon
me in order to give and obtain any information possible. It was thus clearly
established that the whole of the Cheese in question was made by one firm,
about the same time, and supplied, through the usual trade channels, to all
those persons who were known to be attacked.
In view of the extreme importance of the case and the widespread nature of
the mischief, a sample of the consignment supplied to A B and C, Finsbury,
was obtained and submitted to Professor Klein, of St. Bartholomew's, for
examination. His report is as follows:—
St. Bartholomew's Hospital, e.C.,
3rd December, 1901.
I beg herewith to report on the bacterioscopic analysis of the Dutch cheese sent
here on November 25th, 1901, "A." Cheese.
Series I.—From the centre of the Cheese a piece of the material was dug out
and used for making the following cultures:—
1. Anaerobic cultures in milk; four tubes each receiving about a gramme
of the material, to detect the presence of spores of anaerobic microbes.
2. About 2-3 grammes of the material were broken down and well shaken
with a few CC of salt solution; from the turbid milky mixture Agar surface
plates and gelatine surface plates were made.
3. From same salt mixture tube cultivations, Agar and gelatine were made.
From these cultivations the following results were obtained:—
1. There were no spores of anaerobic microbes in the Cheese.
2. The number of anaerobic microbes was comparatively small.
3. The microbes isolated were: (a) bacillus coli communis, not particularly
abundant; (b) bacterium lactis very abundant; (c) a non-mobile cylindrical
bacillus forming coherent zooglcea masses. This microbe was not particularly
abundant.