London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London

City of London 1908

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]

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Table: The following table shows the cultural character of the microbe, S. 1, found in the patients' stools, compared with other organisms:—

The following table shows the cultural character of the microbe, S. 1, found in the patients' stools, compared with other organisms:—

Nature of Test.B. coli communis.B. Gaertner.Microbe Seeker 1.Liverpool virus.
MorphologicalShort rods, fairly motile.Oval to cylindrical, very motile.Oval to cylindrical, very motile.Oval to cylindrical, very motile.
Surface gelatineDry, opaque.Dry, translucent.Dry, translucent.Dry, translucent.
Shake ordinary gelatineCopious gas.Gas.No gas.No gas.
Shake glucose gelatineCopious gas.Copious gas.Gas, slight, after 3 days.Gas, very slight, after 3 days.
Ordin. broth and Phenol broth.Uniformly turbid.Uniformly turbid.Uniformly turbid.Uniformly turbid.
Indol reaction after 4 days.Positive.Positive.Negative.Negative.
Neutral red brothFluorescent, green.Fluorescent, green.Orange.Orange.
Litmus lactose peptoneAcid, gas.Negative.Negative.Negative.
Litmus milk (8 days)..Acid clotted.Alkaline, fluid.Alkaline, fluid.Alkaline, fluid.
Litmus lactose bile salt peptone.Acid, gas.Bleached, no gas.Bleached, no gas.Bleached, no gas.
Litmus glucose bile salt peptone.Acid, gas.Acid, gas.Acid, slight gas.Acid, slight gas.
Drigalski-Conradi platesRed colonies with red halo.Blue colonies.Blue colonies.Blue colonies.
Bile salt neutral red agarRed colonies.Negative.Negative.Negative.
Agglutination (broth culture 24 hours old) with convalescents' blood 1:60.Negative in one hour.Negative in one hour.Positive within 20 minutes.Partial, but distinct in 30 minutes.

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Dr. Klein remarks that :
"The culture of Liverpool virus was used for studying and comparing it with the
"other microbes isolated from the stools and for agglutination test. As will be seen
"from the Table, there is a distinct similarity in cultural respects between microbe
"S. No. 1 and the Liverpool microbe. A difference between the two microbes,
"viz., S. 1 and Liverpool virus appears in respect of agglutination, since the former
"agglutinated in a marked manner with convalescent's blood, whereas the latter
"showed under the same conditions a feeble reaction only. As a further important
"point it ought to be stated that the microbe, isolated in great numbers from the
"blood of an injected guinea-pig, proved, in cultural respects, as also in respect
"of agglutination, the same as the microbe S. 1.
"Subcutaneous injection of ¼ c.c. of broth culture (24 hours old) of the Liverpool
"virus into a large guinea-pig caused extensive gelatinous necrotic swelling in
"groin, abdomen and chest, the animal after 40 hours being quiet, off feed and very
"ill. Exactly the same result was obtained in a companion large guinea-pig
" injected with ¼ c.c. of broth culture of microbe S. 1."
Dr. Klein made some further comparative experiments which he considered
proved conclusively the identity of the two microbes (viz., S. 1, from a
patient's stool, and the "Liverpool" virus).