The Examination of Tubercle Bacilli in Sputum

Abstract

Making use of the smear preparation and of culture, I tried to count up the tubercle bacilli in the sputum for one day. The experiment ended in such result as is shown below. The result through the smear preparation method:- Gaffky I-10, 000-50, 000 bacilli in the sputum for one day Gaffky II-20, 000-6, 000, 000 Gaffky III-15, 000, 000-30, 000, 000 Gaffky IV-VI-50, 000, 000 or there abouts Gaffky VII-100, 000, 000-200, 000, 000 Gaffky above VIII-more than 200, 000, 000. Not a few cases show that the number of the bacilli in the sputum for one day differs greatly in accordance with the quantity of the sputu, though the same number of Gaffky's Table is assigned to them. At the same time I tried to solve the problem how many bacilli in 1cc will make a positive smear preparation. The number of the bacilli obtained through microscopic observation of the sputum of patient runs as follows. Gaffky I-1, 000-3, 000 (or 5, 000) Gaffky II-5, 000-300, 000 Gaffky III-300, 000-500, 000. Meanwhile some 7, 000 in 1cc will hardly have the bacilli revealed under the microscope in the mixture of the sputum and the bacilli. Up to 50, 000 there can be found hardly any difference, though in case of 50, 000 a success is nearly always assured. Gaffky I includes them, up to 90, 000. In case of 100, 000 it is quite sure to find them, which will rank Gaff ky II. The results of oth methods begin to correspond with each other at the middle part of Gaff ky II. Comparing the number of the bacilli found in a smear preparation with that in the culture, we notice that, in case of Gaffky I and II, the former is greater than the latter and viceversa above Gaffky VI. Both of them are nearly equal in case of Gaff ky IV and V.