The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-10-27

WHY cultures of this bacillus are kept In
a laboratory and renewed from day to day.
A patient. apparently suffering from ty-
phoid fever. enters the hospital. A drop OF
blood is taken from the ear or wrist. al
lowed to dry upon a glass plate, and sent
to the laboratory. There the blood is di-
luted twenty times in sterilized water and
examined through the microscope.
The blood will appear a mass of animal
culae. all wriggling and squirming as II en-
gagged each with the other in a war of eS-
termination, a condition explainable by the
presence of typhus toxine. that is only indi-
rectly due to the presence Of typhoid
| germs. Experiment has discovered that IT
the phenomenon is due to typhus tox!ne, the
introduction of healthy typhoid germs vii!
stop the miniature battle between the ami
malculae of the toNine. 1t is because the
latter are killed.
The physician. when he peers through his
microscope and notes that the baccilli of the
toxine are dead. knows that in the blood
is the toxine of typhoid fever. and that the
patient from whom the blood was taken
has typhoid fever.
The sure result depends largely upon the
health and activity OF the germs, and the
greatest of care is taken to grow the latter
properly. Ii seems that the micro-organisms
are particular about diet. Under proper
conditions and given proper media. the
germs Will multiply from thousands to mil
llOES III IL UlSHl, pul lkIlOu t.eSe COilui
tons and without the media upon which to
feed they will not grow at all. So the entire
matter of breeding germs depends upon the
media. and to this the physicians devote
their attention.
1t has been found that some germs -four
ish In sweet mix or upon Irish potatoes
that is, after both have gone through
preparation requiring at the least three
days. But most satisfactory is a kind of
bouillon that requires a week for the max
ing, and which may be said to be an extract
Of an extract Of beef.
The bouillon used in the City Hospital
laboratory is prepared at the hospital. The
process is interesting.
The beef is chopped up into small parti-
Giles. Then it Is soaked In ice water for
twenty-fnur hours. The water draws out
the nutritious part and blood serum. Tne
liquid is filtered and is then a clear ruby
red. To further enrich it. peptin and COM
mon salt are added. The peptin is digested
albumen. which necessita;es that the liquid
be put into a steam steriliZer and kept at
steam heat for two hours. This cOagulates
the albumen. and when the liquid is re-
moved it is again filtered to remove coagu-
lations. 1t is now of a beautiful golden hue
and is poured into test tubes. But during
the latter exposure. 1t may have become
contaminated. 30 1t Is deliberately ster:lized
by being kept under steam pressure a half
an hour each day for three successive days.
AT the end of this time It is the bacterio!o-
gist's "bouillon" and ready for the culture
of germs.
To grow a new colony Of healthy germs. a
platinum wire. thoroughly sterlized. Is in |
troduced into q test-tube known to contain |
germs. The wire is then stirred through the
fresh bouillon. The receptacle containing |
the latter is placed in the germ incubator |
and kept at a temperature Of 100 degrees
Fahrenheit. In from six to twenty-four
hours. enough germs will be grown to form !
the basis of an epidemic should they be
systematically spread abroad.
1t is impossible to estimate the death
power Gagged up in any laboratory
like that at the hospital. A murder mono
maniac who understood such a laboratory
and had access to it could poison the water
supply Of the city by emptying into city
a few test-tubes laden with ty-
phoid germs. He could inoculate unsuspect-
lng persons with deadly disease, and there
be slight chance for the discovery
Of his deed.
At the same time, through the study OF
these germs. the physicians aim to save
life. and. from Information CLEANED in his
laboratory. the physician often does save
|ifa