Report of experiments and observations on the vitality of the bacillus of typhoid fever and of sewage microbes in oysters and other shellfish / by E. Klein.

  • Klein, E. (Edward), 1844-1925.
Date:
[1905]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of experiments and observations on the vitality of the bacillus of typhoid fever and of sewage microbes in oysters and other shellfish / by E. Klein. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    of the shell was 1 c.c., it has to he mentioned that while the injection was proceeding a little fluid, about the same quantity that was being injected, was escaping from the oyster near the lock, so that although this escaped fluid appeared to be the clean water from within the shell, and although the injection was made fairly gradually, we cannot suppose that none of the injected bacilli escaped with the water. At any rate, the above amount of B. typhosus was injected into the shell of each of 12 oysters. Of these six were put back into the sterile sea water, the other six were transferred to a plate and placed in the cold chest. The first six will be designated as “ wet oysters,” the other six as “ dry oysters.” The analyses of the latter would show whether any, and what, changes took place in the number of B. typhosus as com¬ pared with the wet oysters. It is well known that oysters after they are removed from their ground are, in many instances, not consumed at once, but are occasionally kept for days at the wholesale dealer’s or the retailer’s in a “ dry ” state, in barrels, bags and the like; in fact, oysters imported from a distance must of necessity be so kept. As regards the “ wet ” oysters the sea water (2000 c.c.) was changed after 24, 48, 72, 96 and 144 hours, that is to say, after one, two, three, four and six days. The oysters analysed were taken in this order : Oyster 1, wet, after having been one day in clean water; oyster 2, dry, having been kept dry one day; oyster 3, wet, after two days in clean sea water; oyster 4 having been kept dry for two days, and so on. Oyster 1 was taken out of the sea water after one day, its outer surface well brushed under the tap, then dried with a clean cloth, opened with sterile knife, the liquor drained off as well as possible, then minced with sterile scissors in a sterile glass dish, well mixed and the turbid fluid measured. It amounted to just one cubic centimetre. From this fluid made two Drigalski plates, each with c.c., i.e., 10 cubic millimetres. After incubation for 48 hours the colonies, all of the colour, aspect, and nature of B. typhosus—there were no others—