New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-17
A NEW TEST FOR TYPHOID
RECENT DISCOVERY BY DR. HISS. OF THE
HEALTH BOARD.
A cr-1rr.pr MEDIUM FCa-XD IN WHICH ITS
GERM WILL. THRIVE. BIT IN Which Thh
COLON BACILLUS WILL. NOT.

A CIIrtGE MEDIUM FCajND IN WHICH lIS
= GERM WILL. THRIVE. BIT IN WHICH THE
COLON BACILLUS WILL. NOT.
A. ,r..,es,ine discovery las just been made by
tho Department Of Bacteriology OF the New orh
r,oard q, Health II Is hoped that method has AT
last been found OF Identifying The bacillus oil
typhoid. .. is
the dscoverer OF this new method. 1t IS panneu ~
president wilson Of the Health Board. that each
Of his bac,eriologs,s shall take up some he" suo
iect OF research each year under the direction OIL
Dr II NJ Riggs chief OF the laboratory, and THIS
Is Dr. HISS contribution.
Hitherto there nave been only two ways OF ue'oi
mining a case Of typhoid. The first method II
by the physical symptoms OF the patent c""'
su,dv OF his condition. But this has always been
unsatisfactory because until the disease Is zen DAYS
old SYMPTOMS are not TO be depended upon Nh''
seem to be typhoid symptoms may eaSiy me""
something else. Rose spots, for exaInpe' are
good test but thcse arc absent in fully 20 per cent
of tho cases OF actual typhoid. Even symptoms
that are char actoristic" may mean only malaria
or something o. that sort Y foilows 'hat II 10
seldom that a dOc;or can Ire certain uh'H tiie
eighth day at the earliest and this delay may mean
that death VIII result.
Nor has the Vidal system. test devised by
scientist of Vienna actually discovered. 1t Is SAID,
by Robert PfeifTer. of Berlin. kochs assistant
given satisfaction altogether II heips aiohs' Out
not altogether conclusive. The Vidal test Is an
examination Of the blood drop of blood or serum
is taken from the obe or the finger UP OF
suspected patient and mixed with pure typhod
culture A bit o! the mixture is put under micro
SCOPE slide II there is typhoid In the blood or
the patient has had typhoid In his system at any
within five years. the bacilh introduced from
the typhoid culture as can be seen plainly through
the lens. gather into groups.
II there Is no typhoid at all. the oaci' hoNo
about violently. Yet this test famous as 1t Is. is
not altogether accurate 1t is good to CONFIRM out
not sufficient the sole evidence BESIDES II
never absolutely proves tho actual presence OF
typhoid II may simply indicate a past cohoi''o"'
and can never be made TO be exact.
Inasmuch typhoid fever Is believed 10 %
bacteria! nlAiady the medical profession haVe
naturally sought some way OF hndng' IN patent
the snecac bacillus Of the disease just as they do
Of dphther tuberculosis But typnofS o sef' a
si n Y-nfortunately there is another mcrobe Uhe
. sSGp sHi the old Sac"s yeF
ance. but is absolutely Harmless II iract
either sprc'ts If tbe baJeful or the innocent sort
What mas long been wanted Is a test th2t WOulu
difercntiaie one bacillus from the other Dr. HISS
thinks tn as n enough Confidence in it TO adopt it
What DR.. Hiss has done has been to devise cult
ure medium in which typhoid germs win multiply
and the colon bacillus will not Inns TOOK g,eSs
been successfully accomplished. The culture Is
composed Of geiatne agar Wnicn is r
cose 10 make the mixture ferment, salt and Lie
bigs food Typhoid germs grow IN IT, and the colon
quantity OF the sem-fud matter sent for examina-
ton is taken OF on loop" ard Is placed in
little vial containing this culture. Eighteen hours
is sufficient time for the bacili to grow. and
statement results will reach tho doctor inside OF
the laboratory 1t is the plan OF the Board q Health
70 have ali the doctors OF New-YOrk City avail
themselves OF this test free of charge. At the end
Of eighteen hours small portion of the culture Is
aI on 81
q short time to a practised eye, the appearance Of
this plate Will give the information sought that Is
II shows II there has been any growth. If there IS
growth It is o case of typhod II not probably no
{vphod exists.