26
quarter of the year with a view to study systematically the bacteriology of every case of dysentery
and diarrhœa that occurred in the Asylum. Before the investigation was actually taken on hand
ten samples of stool had been sent to the laboratory, packed in ice in the usual way, all of which,
with the exception of one from which B. Dysenteria was isolated, were collected in the stage of
diarrhœa and contained no mucus. The cultivations gave growths of the usual intestinal
organisms of the B. Coli type with bacilli of the enteritidis group in three cases but no dysentery
bacilli. In the only instance in which B. Dysenteriæ was isolated typical mucus was present.
In the case of the first class of nine cases, it was proposed to treat them with vaccines made from
whatever organism was predominant in the cultures in the expectation that by such treatment
the fermentation process in the intestine due to these organisms might be checked and the
catarrhal condition controlled. These expectations as will be seen in the notes in the table were
not sufficiently realised. The cases did not benefit by the treatment and whenever the patient
did improve or recover, this effect could not be attributed clinically to the vaccine treatment.
TABLE XXII.
S e r i a l n u m b e r .
C a s e n u m b e r .
Medical officer.
Disease.
Vaccine made.
Result.
Remarks.
1
32
Major F. F. Elwes,
C.I.E., I.M.S.,
M a d r a s .
Acute hepatitis
after acute
dysentery.
A vibrio . . .
No result.
2
42
. . .
Dysentery . . .
B. Dysenteriæ . . .
Do.
3
45
. . .
Alimentary
toxæmia.
B. Coli . . .
Not used.
4
47
Superintendent, Gov-
ernment Lunatic
Asylum, Madras.
Dysentery . . .
Do. . . .
No effect . . .
Was in the diarrhœa
stage and in a low
condition.
5
48
Do.
Do. . . .
Do. . . .
Cured, probably
as a result of
accompanying
medication.
Chronic case, with
diarrhœa, green
motions, etc.
6
49
Do.
Do. . . .
Do. . . .
Not used.
7
51
Do.
Do. . . .
Do. . . .
Do.
8
64
Do.
Do. . . .
Do. . . .
No effect . . .
Diarrhœa and green
motions for a period
of over three months.
9
79
Do.
Do. . . . B. Enteritidis . . .
Improved with
other treat-
ment.
Case of colitis and
diarrhœa.
10
8 0
Do.
Do. . . .
B. Coli . . .
Do.
Case of chronic colitis
with loss of flesh
and strength.
11
105
Do.
Do. . . .
B. Dysenteriæ,
Flexner type.
Cured . . .
Acute dysentery with
blood and mucus
in stool. Culture
taken on the third
day of attack.
12
118
Do.
Do. . . .
B. Enteritidis? . . .
No effect . . .
Chronic diarrhœa
supervening on
tuberculosis of
lungs.
13
119
Do.
Do. . . .
Do. . . .
Cured with other
treatment as
well.
Chronic diarrhœa and
loss of weight;
flagellates, hook
-
worm ova, etc., in
motion.
14
141
Officer Commanding
Station Hospital,
St. Thomas' Mount.
Do. . . .
B. Dysenteriæ,
Flexner group.
Not used.
15 to
22
189
Superintendent,
Lunatic Asylum,
Madras.
Do.
. . . B. Dysenteriæ . . .
. . .
Autogenous dysentery
bacillus vaccine
given as a prophy
-
lactic.
23
195
Superintendent,
Royapettah Hospital,
Madras.
Do. . . .
B. Enteritidis? . . .
. . .
Not known.
24
225
Dr. F. Clarence
Smith, Madras.
Do. . . . B. Dysenteriæ,
Flexner group.
. . .
Do.
25
227
Superintendent,
Government Lunatic
Asylum, Madras.
Do. . . .
B. Dysenteriæ . . .
. . .
Do.
With the experience of the two previous years one felt justified in presuming that most, if
not all, of these cases in which dysentery bacilli could not be isolated must have started as
bacillary dysentery, In them the bacilli were missed on account of the bacteriological examina
- t i o n n o t h a v i n g b e e n c o n d u c t e d s u f f i c i e n t l y e a r l y ,i
. e
. , i n t h e s t a g e w h e n m u c u s a n d b l o o d w e r e
passed. It is in the discharge from the dysenteric ulcers that one could. expect to isolate the
bacilli which in the cultivations will have to be separated from a considerably larger number of
intestinal organisms growing along with them. In the later stage of diarrhœa when the mucus