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151
The complete justification of this action on the part of the Company is
best shown by Professor Klein's report received on the 30th December, as
follows:—
REPORT ON THE BACTERIOSCOPIC ANALYSIS OF—
(1.) Oysters.
(2.) Emsworth Water.
Both materials were received on 19th December, 1902. The oysters
appeared all in a good and healthy state, and were contained in a sack, several
dozens of them; the water was in what appeared to be an old wine bottle,
closed with a cork.
Before detailing the results of the analysis of these materials, viz.,
oysters and water, it is necessary to explain in detail the mode of procedure
so as to make the results appear in their true light.
(1.) Oysters.—In my report to the Medical Officer of the Local
Government Board, 1894-5, I have described the mode of procedure which
then had yielded satisfactory results. The same method I have also now
followed with certain additions since adopted in bacterioscopic work of
this kind. The oyster is thoroughly brushed under the tap with a clean
brush, then dried with a clean cloth, opened with a sterile instrument, and
the body of the animal cut into with sterile scissors. From the liquid and
general milky fluid a fair amount, about 1/6-1/5 c.c., is introduced into each of
the following sterile culture media:—
(а) Two tubes of phenolated broth.
(b) Two tubes of MacConkey, viz., litmus, glucose, taurocholate
of soda and peptone in water.
(c) Two tubes of recently boiled milk.
(d) One plate dish of phenolated gelatine ; this having previously
been allowed to set.
(e) One plate dish of phenolated Agar ; this also having
viously been allowed to set.
The object of the cultivations (a, b, d and e) was to discover bacillus
coli or bacillus typhosus or any microbe belonging to the same group; (c)
was, after the inoculation, heated to 80° C. from 10-15 minutes in order
to kill everything except spores. In this case the spores of bacillus
enteritidis sporogenes were looked for, as the oysters had been under
suspicion of sewage contamination.
In my report to the Local Government Board above referred
to, I have shown that oysters not polluted by sewage do not contain
the bacillus coli communis; since then I have shown that sewage always
contains the spores of the anaerobic virulent bacillus enteritidis sporogenes,
and therefore the presence of the bacillus coli communis and bacillus
enteritidis in oysters or other shellfish may be taken to denote sewage
pollution. The medium (a), phenol broth, was used for subsequent
secondary plate cultivations. The medium (b) is, in my experience, an
excellent medium—first introduced by Dr. MacConkey—in order to quickly
demonstrate the probable presence of bacillus coli communis or, under
certain conditions, of coli-like microbes and bacillus typhosus; for if, after
24-48 hours' incubation at 37° c., the fluid has changed into red and the