The Action of Glycerol on Micrococci from Epidemic Poliomyelitis

Abstract

During the past year certain micrococci have been demonstrated in the tissues of the central nervous system of persons dead with epidemic poliomyelitis, and there is some evidence at hand indicating that these organisms bear some relation to the disease. Since the causative agent of poliomyelitis has been found to be highly resistant to the action of glycerol it seemed important to determine whether these micrococci possessed the same resisting power for this mild bactericide. The purpose of this brief communication is to present the results of a few experiments bearing on this problem. In this work cultures of poliomyelitic cocci were compared with different strains of streptococci and pneumococci with reference to their power to resist the bactericidal action of glycerol. The organisms used included 2 strains of micrococci isolated from the spinal cord of poliomyelitis cases, 2 strains of hemolytic streptococci from scarlet fever, 2 strains of Streptococcus viridans from the throats of measles patients, and 1 strain of pneumococcus. Three experiments were made.