View report page

26
With regard to another largely advertised virus, viz., the "Danysz,"
Dr. Klein has demonstrated its identity with the Bacillus enteritides Gaertner,
and expressed the following opinion on the subject:—
" The identity of the two microbes—B. Danysz and B. Gaertner—has been
" confirmed also by the following experiments (Transactions, Pathological Society,
" 1902, p. 243):—(a) Guinea-pigs immunised by B. Danysz were found immune
" against B. Gaertner; (b) guinea-pigs immunised by B. Gaertner were found
" immune against B. Danysz; (c) blood serum of guinea-pigs immunised by B. Danysz
" agglutinates equally well an emulsion of B. Danysz and of B. Gaertner; (d) blood
" serum of guinea-pigs immunised by B. Gaertner agglutinates equally well an
" emulsion of B. Gaertner and of B. Danysz. Recently I have carried out the
'' same experiments with rabbits. A rabbit was immunised by repeated injections of
" sub-fatal doses of living B. Danysz, a second rabbit by repeated injections of sub"
fatal doses of living B. Gaertner. The blood serum of both animals was then
" tested on emulsions of B. Danysz and of B. Gaertner, and was found to
" agglutinate emulsions of both microbes equally well.
" I therefore consider that both microbes are identical.
" Considering that acute gastro-enteritis or some forms of it have been shown to
" have been caused by the eating of meat (beef, pork) contaminated with the B.
" Gaertner, it seems rather a risky thing to follow the recommendation of the
" Danysz Company, printed on their advertisements, viz., to spread about in meat
" stores and the like, cultures of the B. Danysz, with the object of destroying rats :
" for it might happen that while the intended rat destruction fails, the meat pollution
" and subsequent human infection might succeed."
Further samples of bacterial rat poisons sold in the City were purchased
and sent to the City Bacteriologist for examination.
These were:—
(i) " Ratin No. 1."—Obtained from the Ratin Laboratory, No. 17,
Gracechurch Street. Referred to in Report as Ratin No. 1.
(ii) " Ratin No. 2."—Obtained from same source. Referred to in
Report as Ratin No. 2.
(iii) "Ready Rat Relief."—Obtained from the Ready Rat Relief
Virus Co., No. 23, Paternoster Square. Referred to in Report
as Rat Virus No. 3.
As the result of his examination of these three samples, Dr. Klein came to
the following conclusions :—
" From these experiments it follows that all these viruses are culturally and
" morphologically closely related and belong to the group of bacteria which are
" included in the group of "Paratyphoid," to which belong the Paratyphoid bacteria