Dwain N. Walcher

Response of Germ-Free Animals to Experimental Virus Monocontamination. I. Observation on Coxsackie B Virus.

Summary An inadvertent monocontami-nation of germ-free mice with a so-called “non-pathogenic”strain of an albus variant of Staphylococcus aureus was observed to enhance the systemic resistance of suckling mice to lethal infections with Coxsackie B virus in doses ranging from 0.1 to 10 LD50. The response of germ-free suckling mice to intraperitoneal injections of virus was uniform, with mortality seeming to be independent of the dose of virus. Mortality was not observed after a post-inoculation interval of 7 days, although there was significant persistence of virus in the brain and other organs of the germ-free mice.

Intravenous chloramphenicol in the treatment of meningitis due to hemophilus influenzae (type B)

Summary The administration of chlormaphenicol by mouth or by rectum has been demonstrated by other authors to represent a highly effective therapy for meningitis due to H. influenzae . The oral or rectal administration of any therapeutic agent to an acutely ill patient offers several disadvantages. In the treatment of meningitis, the rapid administration of effective therapy is desirable, and it is preferable to overcome the disadvantages of refusal, slow absorption, or vomiting of the medication. We present six cases of meningitis due to H. influenzae which were treated successfully in a manner eliminating these disadvantages by using intravenous chloramphenicol until such time as the clinical condition of the patients justified the administration of oral chloramphenicol.

Studies on fatal hypoglycemia in axenic (germfree) piglets.

Summary 1. The newborn, germfree piglet soon develops a state of severe hypogly-cemia with a corresponding decline in general metabolism unless glucose is present in the available diet. Our finding of a virtual absence of intestinal lactase activity (β-galacto-sidase) in the small intestine of axenic piglets suggests a failure of hydrolysis of lactose in the sterile, homogenized cows milk feedings. 2. Our preliminary studies with germ-free piglets reveal similar hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase activities between the normo-glycemic (SPF) and hypoglycemic (GF) pigs. The activity of hepatic phosphoryl-ase was also essentially the same for the normoglycemic (SPF) and hypoglycemic (GF) piglets and was in the range of activity usually found in normal rat liver. 3. Since blood glucose concentration depends upon the balance between entry, alimentary or hepatic, and removal, utilization and storage, a comprehensive study of the hypoglycemic syndrome in the piglet involves several parameters. Rate of glucose utilization and failure of hepatic glucose formation await further study.

Inhibition of cytopathic action of Salisbury virus by antiviral agent 1758.

Summary It has been found that an antiviral agent called 1758, and somewhat similar to agent 8450 in antiviral action in mice, exhibits demonstrable inhibition of the cytopathic action of Salisbury virus H.G.P. This antiviral agent is of penicillium origin, and virus H.G.P. is one of several strains reported of common cold origin. Addendum: See report of 1758 as Statolon in Probst, G. W. and Kleinschmidt, W. J., Federation Proceedings, 1961, v20, 441.

The treatment of tetanus: Ten consecutive cases with recovery

HE successful management of two eases of tetanus with the use of tetanus antitoxin, eurare~ penicillin, snlfadiazine, traeheotomy, and sedation was reported by Harris and associates ~ in 1948. In 1950 Tucker and Lasater 2 indicated that their mortality rate was reduced when they added the use of penieil]in, curare, and traeheotomy to their management which had formerly ,consisted of tetanus antitoxin, sedation, and excision of the local wound.