The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-24
WHAT CAUSES CHoLERAe
Report of the Physicians Sent to India by the
British Government.

Report of the Physicians Sent to India by the
British Government.
London La meet.
The Gazette of India publishes the following re-
port, dated Calcutta, Nov. g. 1884:
From DR.. J. NJ. Cunningham, Sanitary Commits
with the Government of India to the Secretary
to the Government of Iudis. Home Department.
Il have the honor to submit, for the informa
ton of the government, short preliminary re-
port by the English cholera commission of the
results of their inquiries during their visit to In
dia.
Their complete report will be passed through
the press when they arrive in England and sub
mitted 10 the Under Secretary of State for India.
1T will be observed that MeSsrs. Klein and
Gibbes's conclusions altogether subversve of
the statements advanced by Prof Koch as to the
so-called comma bacillus being the cause of
cholera.
" From Drs f.. Klein and Heneage Gibbes to the
Surgeon General and Sanitary Commissioning with
the Government Of India Dated Calcutta. Nov u.
We have the honor to report that the inves-
LEGATIONS which we have hitherto carried on in
Bombay and Calcutta have yielded the follow
ing results:
baclli" are present only in the intestines of
persons suffering from dead of cholera is
not in accordance with the facts, since 'com-
ma bacilii' occur also in other diseases of the
intestines-e. G.. epidemic diarrhea, dysentery
50 The comma bacilli" in acute typical
cases of cholera are by no means present in such
numbers and with such frequency as to justify
Kochs statement that the ileum contains al
most pure cultivation Of comma bacili"
9 g. The comma bacii' are not present in
the tissue of the intestine or elsewhere.
"a The comma bacilli' in artificial cultiva-
tions. carried out by one of us f.. X J, do not
behave in any way differently from other putre
factive organisms.
40, of tho folra ant
soon after death from typical acute cholera, con
tain numerous mucus corpuscles, many OF them
filled with peculiar minute straight bacilli The
same bacilli occur also outside the mucus corpus
cles. They are never missed. even when the
comma bacill' are.
"'6 These small bacilli have been cultivated
by one Of us +. *. J, and they do not behave diff
ferently from putrefactive organisms They are
not present in the tissues of the intestine, or any
other tissue.
"'7. No bacteria Of any kind. and no organ
sms of known form and character, occur in the
blood or any other issue
":8. A good many experiments have been car
ried out by one of us E. K. J., with the following
results ia) Mice, rats, cats ard monkeys were
fed with rice-water stools, with vomit, with
mucus cakes of ileum, fresh and after having
been kept from twenty four to forty ght hours.
The animals remained normal (bj lnocula-
tons with recent and old civilizations Of comma
bacilli.' and the small. straight bacli as well as
with mucus fakes were made into the subcu
taneous tissue, into the peritoneal cavity. into
the jugular vein, and into the cavity of the
small and large intestines of rabbits, cats and
moneys but the animal remained perfectly well
and normal
80 The material which we have had hitherto
at our disposal has been very good and abundant
and, as far as the microscope work goes, we do
not think shall require any more material.
We therefore propose concluding our inquiry by
the beginning Of December, and hope soon after
to return to England"