Note on the discovery of a microorganism in Malta Fever / by David Bruce.

  • Bruce, David, Sir, 1855-1931.
Date:
[date of publication not identified]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Note on the discovery of a microorganism in Malta Fever / by David Bruce. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    11/26 (page 163)
    Case No. I.—Private J. R., South Yorks. Rccriment, aocd 20 years. Admitted to hospital 11th December, 18S6 ; died at 7.10 a.m., 2Gth December, 1886. The following chart shows the course of the- disease :— Dec. 11 12 13 14 I 15 16 17 18 19 ■ 20 21 i 22'23 24 25 ' 26 27 ' 1 i 106 1 1 105' V 104’ p- \ r _ 703' 1 V AN 102 1 lof I loo 99^ 98 The post-mortem examination was held nine hours after death, when small portions of spleen were at once placed in a large quantity of absolute alcohol. Afterwards these portions of tissue were impregnated with paraffin, and very thin sections cut by means of a Cambridge rocking microtome. On staining these sections by Gram’s method, and also by an opaque watery solution of methylene-blue for twenty-four hours, and examining by means of a Zeiss oil immersion and Abbe condenser, enormous numbers of single micrococci were seen scattered through the tissues. Dr. Sims Woodhead, pathologist to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, kindly assisted me in the examina¬ tion of these sections, and was of opinion that the micrococci would be found to have some causal relationship to the disease. On returning from leave of absence at the end of May last, in conjunction with Dr. Caruana-Scicluna, Government analyst, I prepared sterilized tubes of Agar-agar nutrient jelly. It was our intention to work conjointly at the distribution of bacteria in the air in different parts of Malta. I must here thank Dr. Caruana-Scicluna for the very great assistance he has given me, not only in preparing sterilized fluids, but also in supplying apparatus, &c.; in fact, without his co-operation the following results could not have been attained. Having in hospital about this time many severe cases of