The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-18
Most Interesting Of All.

i''perlaps the most interesti4s Of all
the meteorological tests Is the ono for
typhoid fever. AS mentioned Just now,
In this test we do not find the germ OF
tho disease ut all. But here, again, the
best way to expiain is TO show you exnct-
ly what Is donc."
Going to the refrigerator which stood in
the laboratory, Or. Levy brought oft
q rack Of test tubes and removed one
OF them for the reporters inspection.
You see this tube contains transpar-
cnt Jelly. You see the two white streaks
on the surface of this Jelly. We'll, these
nre made up of countless millions of
typhoid bacilli. Where did I get them?
Why, originally they came, of course.
from n case of typhoid fever, but this
culture is one which L got from the
ARCHAEOLOGICAL Laboratory Of the Boston
Board OF Health. 1t is the Same culture
which they use in making the test for
typhoid fever. Every day a minute speck
OF this growth Is transplanted to tube
Of fresh jelly and put IN the Incubator.
where 1t Is kept at the temperature of
the human body Within twelve hours
an abundant growth has taken place, aud
the new tube contains as many bacteria
as the one from which 1t was taken. 1t
Is necessary to have culture of this
germ, the bacillus of typhoid fever, In
order to test a patients blood for that
disease. / will now show you how this
IS done.
Here is a drop OF blood sent In this
morning for examination. 1t Is sent in
on this slip of aluminium FOIL. The OUTFIT
contains this foil. a needle for pricking
the skin TO get the blood. little wire
loop and full directions to the Doctor how
TO proceed in getting the sample. ] frst
add little water to the dry blood and
mix the blood and water thoroughly. Now
take drop OF this diluted blood and
put In n glass cover slip, and then add
to this drop very minute amount or
this culture of typhoid soecilli, which
have Just shown you. The drop Is then
Inverted over this depression in another
piece OF glass and is then ready to ex-
anime under the microscope.
"Look at 1t now. and you will sec n
number of very small, thread-like bodies
swimming around like a lot of minnows.
These are typhoid bacilli. and, remen-
Der, they came not from the patient
whose blood we are testing. but from
this tube of typhoid bacilli, which keep
on hand for this test. So far. the speci-
men now under the microscope has eX-
actly the same appearance. whether this
Is case of typhoid fever or not The
bacili. of course, are present in either
instance. But keep on looking at this
specimen, and If this is really case of
typhoid fever, you will see decided
change occur. Look at it now and tell
me what you see"
The reporter did SO. s,ld even to his
uninitiated eye the difference was APP
parent.
why. yes he replied, "the bacilli
are not swimming as actively as they
were at first
""rhat is right remarked DR.. Levy.
land in a little while they will cease NOV
ing altogether, and, Furthermore, they
will gather together In clumps instead OF;
| remaining evenly distributed over the
field as they were at first. II both of
these things happen-that is. the-loss of
| motility and the 'aggiutination as this
| dumping is technically cailed--then we
can be quite certain that the blood which
caused these changes was gotten fromqaa
patient suffering from typhoid fever. or
| else that the patient has had typhoid
| recently. On the other hand, failure
| to get this typical reaction is not abso-
] lutte proof that the patient has not got
typhoid fever. The test fails in small
| proportion of cases, SO it Is not as abso-
! Iutely reliable as the test for diphtheria
or tuberculosis, but the percentage OF
| failures is SO small that the test is still
| of immense service"