Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-01-21
WINE AND TYPHOID FEVER.
Acidity of White Wines Has Been
Proved of Antiseptie Value.


The generating agent of typhoid fe-
yer, known as the Eberth bacillus, is
in most cases introduced into the or
ganism in the drinking water, says a
writer in Journal de Medicine de Bor-
deauX. AS wine is credited with an
antiseptic action, it was Of interest
from the point Of view of public health
to determine in the first place whether
this reputation could be justified as
regards the typhoid bacillus; in the
second place, whether it's action varied
with the different kinds Of wine, and,
finally, whether the microbicidal action
Of wine was diminished in a sensible
manner by mixing drinking water with
it.
The solution of this problem could
be the work of meteorological experts
alone For this purpose it has been
undertaken and successfully accom-
plished by two Bordeaux savants, NM
Sabrayes and Marcandier, who have
succeeded in proving that wines pre-
served for a long time in bottles are
sterile. while those which are kept in
barrels, from which they are drawn
daily, contain bacteria.
On account of this general asepticity
wines kept for long time in bottles
may be considered fit for use by sur
geons in urgent cases in the absence
Of other antiseptics. They have been
used for this purpose by certain coun-
try practitioners who have already for
long time foreseen the sterility of
bottled wine.
AS far as typhoid fever is concerned,
experimentation seem to have demon
strated beyond doubt that pure wines
exercise powerful action on the
Eberth bacillus, but that this action
varies in intensity with the nature and
quality of the wines. White wines
proved themselves to be more active
than red wines. and among the white
wine champagnes occupy the first rank
The acidity of these wines may be
considered as the preponderating an
tiseptic agent and it's degree is the
measure Of their antiseptic value; this
is proved by the fact that if by en-
ploying an alkali this acidity is dimin-
ished, the resistance of the Eberth
bacillus remains so much the greater
when the original degree Of acidity has
been most diminished.
rI,l, ,,1, Al,a1 -, fhn liT1ntf of
fifteen degrees has scarcely any influ-
ence on the bactericidal power of the
wine.
The addition of water to the wine,
which attenuates the proportion of all
the elements constituting the wine, has
the same effect upon its antiseptic
power: thus an ordinary red wine
which killed the Eberth bacillus in two
hours required four hours to produce
the same result when diluted with its
own volume Of water. In the same
manner a champagne which sterilized
| this microbe in ten minutes had the
same effect only at the end of an hour
and a half when doubled in volume by
| the addition of water.
The differences, however, are less
when the presence Of sulphur in the
wine has been perceptible. And
apropos Of this. the Bordeaux savants
desire that the United States customs
should be more tolerant with regard to
the quantity Of sulphurous acid in the
sweet white wines of the Gironde dis
trict the more so since these wines
cannot acquire their exceptional quail
tiles without the action Of this acid.