Nonhemolytic Strains Research Articles

The incidence and biological characteristics of the hemolytic bacillus coli in the intestinal tract of patients with chronic ulcerative colitis

1. The hemolytic type of the Bacillus coli may be recovered from the intestinal tract of patients with chronic ulcerative colitis in a high percentage of cases. If four or more specimens from a single individual are examined, it is shown to be present in one hundred per cent of the cases. The results are similar to those obtained from a study of stool cultures from healthy individuals. 2. The hemolytic strains of the Bacillus coli recovered from proctoscopic smears were found to be somewhat more virulent for white mice than the nonhemolytic. However, the virulence of the hemolytic type was approximately the same as for those recovered from the stools of healthy persons, while the nonhemolytic showed a somewhat lower virulence. 3. The Bacillus coli recovered from the intestinal tract of patients with colitis appear to be heterologous strains having agglutinins more or less in common with each other and with those isolated from the stools of healthy people. 4. From this study it may be concluded that in incidence and biological characteristics, hemolytic and nonhemolytic strains of Bacillus coli recovered from proctoscopic smears of patients with chronic ulcerative colitis, differ in no respect from those obtained from stool specimens of healthy individuals.

HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCIC SEPTICEMIA

Septicemias caused by the streptococcus are among the most frequently encountered, as well as the most dreaded, of all general infections. In the greater percentage of cases, there is a fatal termination. Cooke 1 noted: All hemolytic streptococcic septicemias, with only occasional exceptions are characterized by being terminal, and are accompanied by an extremely severe toxemia. He tabulated the incidence of septicemia with positive blood culture that he observed at the St. Louis Children's Hospital, and noted that there were forty-eight cases of hemolytic streptococcic septicemia out of a total of 104 cases. This shows the great frequency of this particular strain of organism in the etiology of septicemia in infants and children. Again, he stated that in a group of sixty patients with streptococcic septicemia, fifty-one were due to hemolytic and nine to nonhemolytic strains of the organism. In only one instance in this series did recovery follow the

Skin Tests with Filtrates and Vaccines of Staphylococcus Aureus

produced by staphylococcus filtrates apparently demonstrating an exotoxin comparable to that obtained with the filtrates of Streptococcus hemolyticus of scarlet fever,2 erysipelas,3 puerperal sepsis,4 and septicemia.5 Heinbecker and Irvine Jones 6 have since reported similar reactions in man in a group of 77 Eskimos, and Greenebaum and Harkins 7 in 19 cases of chronic staphylococcus pyodermia. In the following report the first observations were extended, in a larger number of normal persons, and also in patients affected with staphylococcus infections, testing the filtrates and vaccines of numerous strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from active pyogenic lesions. The method described by the Dicks 2 with streptococcus toxin was used. Fifty freshly isolated strains of Staphylococcus aureus were obtained from various lesions as abscesses of breast, kidney, and hand, carbuncles, furuncles, otitis media, and from other sources as indicated in table 1. They produced typical golden pigment which varied in intensity; on blood agar nineteen strains showed hemolysis. Both the hemolytic and nonhemolytic strains produced potent filtrates which, however, varied considerably in potency. The staphylococci were grown in broth prepared with Witte's peptone Ph 7.4, and incubated at 37 C. for 4 days. The broth was filtered through Berkefeld filters. The sterile filtrates were diluted from 1: 250 to 1: 2000; tests were made by intradermal injections of 0.2 cc. into the middle portion of the forearm; controls were made on the opposite arm with the heated filtrate. Reac-

THE STREPTOCOCCI OF EQUINES

The lower nasal mucosa and the pharynx of thirty eastern and twenty-three western horses have been examined for streptococci. Eight of the eastern horses carried non-hemolytic streptococci on the nasal mucosa. From the pharynx of six, non-hepiolytic streptococci were cultivated. The throats of eighteen contained strains of the hemolytic type. The nasal mucosa of the eastern horses failed to show hemolytic streptococci. Eight western horses carried non-hemolytic streptococci in the nasal passage; eight also harbored the hemolytic type. Twenty-two strains were isolated from the pharynx. Eleven were hemolytic. Among all the non-hemolytic nasal strains those capable of fermenting mannite predominate. Those of the non-hemolytic types from the pharynx of both classes of horses may or may not ferment lactose but all do ferment either raffinose or inulin. In no instance have any of the non-hemolytic types proved pathogenic for mice. The hemolytic strains from the nasal mucosa of the western horses were all of the Streptococcus py genes type. They were pathogenic for mice and rabbits. One strain from the pharynx of an eastern horse and eight from the throats of the western horses were of the same species. All the others corresponded closely in their fermentation reactions with non-hemolytic streptococci from the same region. The streptococci from pathological sources were all hemolytic. They have fallen into two groups; the larger group (Streptococcus pyogenes) produced acid in dextrose, lactose, saccharose, maltose, milk, and salicin but failed to change the reaction of broth containing raffinose, inulin, or mannite. The streptococci of the smaller group (Streptococcus equi) differ only in their inability to ferment lactose or acidulate milk. Both types are pathogenic for mice. Rabbits are usually more resistant. Streptococcus pyogenes has been isolated from eighteen of twenty-two cases of influenza, three of six cases of strangles, and from eight of nine abscesses. Streptococcus equi was observed in four horses suffering from influenza and five others affected with strangles. This species was also found in an abscess and associated with both rhinitis and pharyngitis.