John F. Norton

Virulence Tests for Typhoid Bacilli and Antibody Relationships in Antityphoid Sera.

VARIATION and dissociation in the enteric group of bacteria are accompanied by changes in antigenic properties 1, 2, 3; and such changes may, in turn, affect the value of these variants or dissociants for prophylactic purposes. Relative virulence of these organisms also may be associated with dissociation and correlated with antigenic activity. The lack of sensitive and convenient methods for determination of virulence and of antibody relationships in antisera produced against typhoid bacilli of established virulence has led to the following experimental work. Particular emphasis has been placed on the measurement of protective action of the antisera in an attempt to determine whether there is a correlation of such activity with some known and easily determinable property of the antisera and whether this property may be correlated with antigenic components of the organisms being studied. Methods for determination of virulence of typhoid bacilli and for measurement of protective action of antityphoid sera are presented, together with preliminary data obtained by these methods.

Contact Carriers in Meningitis

IT is generally conceded that cerebrospinal fever (epidemic or meningococcic meningitis) is spread largely by healthy carriers. The control of the disease therefore depends upon the control of carriers. Measures leading to this end have been instituted under military conditions at various times in this country, in England, and in France. No attempt seems to have been made to control the movements of meningococcic carriers in a civilian population over any considerable period of time. The number of cases of epidemic meningitis reported to the Department of Health in Detroit during the autumn of 1928 was unusually large.t In January, 1929, 66 cases (with 35 deaths) were reported as compared to an average of 3 for January of the 5 previous years. It appeared certain that an epidemic was in progress. Accordingly, the Commissioner of Health issued an order effective February 1, 1929, requiring the isolation of home contacts for a period of 14 days only, or until two consecutive nasopharyngeal cultures, taken lot less than 24 hours apart, were found to be free from meningococci. Persons actually living in the apartment or house at the time the case was diagnosed as epidemic meningitis were considered contacts. In a few instances intimate or casual friends, who had been with the individual just before the illness began, have voluntarily requested that cultures be taken; but such persons when proved to be carriers were not officially isolated. This report summarizes the experience in Detroit during the 6 months ending July 31, 1929. Most of the cultures were taken by Department of Health nurses who were assigned to this work and carefully instructed. Some contacts came to the laboratory, but such a procedure was discouraged, particularly when street cars were used as means of transit. The cultures were taken from the nasopharynx with a swab on the end of a bent aluminum wire. The swab was then inserted in a sterile tube and placed in a towel between two warm water bags. Several calls

USE OF ANAEROBIC CULTURE METHODS IN THE STUDY OF INFLUENZA.

In the search for the cause of such an important a disease as influenza, negative evidence with anaërobic cultures is of distinct scientific value. Professor Norton here presents conclusions derived from a careful series of investigations.