Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-30
OYSTERS AND TYPHOID.
Result of an Investigation by an Eng
1iSh Scientist

oysters and Typhoid Fever form the
subject of report by United States Con-
SUI Halstead at Birmingham, England. to
the Department Of Commerce and Labor.
II enpodles the result of an investigation
made by Prof. Klein, f. r. S., for the Fish
mongers Company to ascertain the vitality
or the typhoid bacillus when introduced
INTO shellhsh. The conclusions of Prof
Klein are stated as follows:
oysters readily take into their interior
the bacillus typhosus which has been intro
duced into their shell or into the surround
ing sea water. Oysters clean at starting
rapidly clear themselves of the ingested ty-
pnold Dacllli II they are kept in clean water
which is frequently changed OYSTERS clean
at starting clear themselves OF the ingested
bacl!l to less extent and slower If they
are Kept in dry state, /. e., out of the
sea water oysters from a polluted locality
clear themselves of the ingested bacilli to a
less extent and at a slower rate. even if
Kept IN sea water, than oysters clean at
starting. oysters from polluted locality
retain the ingested typhoid bacilli to a
markedly larger extent If kept dry t. e.,
outside the water. The process of 'clearin q
themselves Of the ingested typhoid bacilli
cannot be owing to the oyster merely pass
ing out these baciili, but must be due to a
large extent to an inherent power of the
oyster of directly devitalizing the microbe
Experiments with the dry oysters prove
this, and 1t Is also evident from the ra Did
the oysters kept in clean water if com
pared with the very small number found at
the same time In the surrounding sea water
Oysters which had been selected with ty-
phoid bacilli and were then kept in a dry
state until they had practically cleared
themselves, when subjected to reinfection
with the bacilii, appear to be less capable
OF dealing with them, even If kept in clean
sea water, than reinfected oysters which
have always been kept in the water. This
is applicable on the obvious supposition
that oysters kept some days out of the
water do not possess the same degree of
activity and vitality in their tissues as
those which have been kept under normal
conditions. Oysters from a polluted local
ity, containing a large number of the bacil-
lus coli, very rapidly clear themselves Of
this microbe, whether kept in or out of the
water. This shows that bacillus coli is for
eign to the oyster and is rapidly destroyed
by it. When, therefore, it is present in the
oyster, it must have been derived from the
surroundings. However largely infected
with typhoid bacilli, the oysters at no time
present to the eye any sign of such infec-
ton; they remain in all parts of normal as
pect. This Is the case not only with all in
fected oysters kept in sea water, but also
with infected oysters kept in the dry state
There was only one eXception-an oyster de-
rived from a polluted locality and which
had been eleven days out of the water.
During the time of the experiments part
of September, October and part of Novem-
sea water, frequently changed. There was
no noticeable alteration in their aspect;
they remained plump and juicy and capable
of promptly and tightly closing their shells.
Cookies readily embody typhoid bacilli pres
ent in water. Although the number
first appears to diminish in the body of the
cookie, 1t soon increases to a considerable
degree, for five days after cookies have been
removed from polluted water to clean sand
the number of typhoid bacilli In their bod
les was threefold that originally present.
Their subsequent diminution proceeds slow
ly, since a cookie examined ten days after
removal from infected water still contained
in it's body $1,000 typhoid bacilli Mussels
also readily embody the typhoid bacillus; in
fact, analysis seems to show that they do
SO to a greater extent than oysters or
cookies AS regards the fate Of the typhoid
bacilli In mussels, these appear to stand
between oysters and cookies, since In mus
sells the bacilli undergo gradual diminution.
which occurs incomparably slower than in
oysters. but somewhat quicker than in
cookies"