Marion M. Johnston

Bacteriologic studies of three small epidemics of infectious diarrhea in children

Summary 1. An outbreak of diarrhea apparently due to B. dispar involving fifteen infants in the nursery of a small hospital is reported. Nine deaths occurred. 2. Two epidemics apparently caused by B. dysenteriae (Sonne) are reported. One outbreak in a residential institution involved sixteen patients; the other occurring in a surgical ward of this hospital affected five patients and one nurse. The infections were not acute and terminated quickly without fatalities.

Bacteriologic study of pyelitis

Summary 1. In 109 cases of pyelitis the microorganisms isolated from the urine were chiefly species of gram negative bacilli. 2. Similar bacterial species were isolated from the stool and urinein 40 cases of pyelitis. 3. Similar cultures, biologically and serologically, were obtained from 7 cases of pyelitis. 4. Agglutinins for the homologous urine species were demonstratedin the sera of 23 cases of pyelitis, and none in the sera of 25 cases.

Ketogenic diet in persistent pyuria

The ketogenic diet as a treatment of persistent pyuria was first introduced by Clark and Helmholz in 19311. They found that when the acidity of the urine was increased below pH 5 4 the urine became bacteriafree in a short time and in conjunction with this the pus disappeared from the urine. Later Clark2 (1932) demonstrated that this sterilization was not due to the acidity of the urine. In 1933 Fuller3 showed experimentally that the principal factor inhibiting the growth of bacteria in the urine was due to the alpha-beta-hydroxy-butyric acid. This ketone body is inactive at a reaction more alkaline than pH 5-6. Gray4 has reported that he found the ketogenic diet helpful in pyelitis caused by staphylococci. Bell5 discussed the value of the diet as a therapeutic measure. Clark6 reported beneficial results in every one of fifty-three cases which he treated. Rennie7 on the other hand in six cases of pyelitis in children found that ketogenic diet cured two, caused temporary cessation of symptoms with later relapse in three, and was valueless in one. He cites a cure in one adult case. He considers ketogenic diet of little value as a curative agent in pyuria associated with an abnormality of the urinary tract.