On the curative effect of carbonic acid gas or other forms of carbon in cholera, for different forms of fever, and other diseases / by C.J. Lewis.

  • Lewis, C. J. (Charles James), 1875-1937.
Date:
1903
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: On the curative effect of carbonic acid gas or other forms of carbon in cholera, for different forms of fever, and other diseases / by C.J. Lewis. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    (&) Low temperature of incubation, 15°-25° C. (c) Plate cultures as contrasted with cultures in tube. {cl) Prolonged exposure to the gas. (e) Scanty inoculation. The conditions in which least effect of carbonic acid gas is seen are: {a) Small percentage of COg in air. {b) High temperature of incubation, 37° C. (c) Tube cultures as contrasted with plate cultures. {d) Temporaiy exposure to the gas. (e) Very free inoculation. Where growth was not completely stopped, the most noticealde effects of the gas were the retardation of liquefaction of gelatine and the imperfect formation of pellicle in broth. Small percentages of carlxmic acid gas, up to, say, 5-10 per cent., appear to have little or no influence on the vitality of the Vibrio choleroe. On the B. typhosus carbonic acid gas has no marked toxic influence; occasionally the growth of the organism was somewhat retarded, hut not very decidedly, and not more than might be due to the diminislied su])ply of oxygen associated with growth in an atmosphere of carbonic acid gas. Often the organism grew in COg as well as in air. Carbonic acid gas does not interfere with the growth of B. coli communis nor that of B. diphtheria3. In connection with the latter organism, it is interesting to note that Schierheck has found that a weak acid medium tlirough which carljonic acid gas is passed constitutes tlie l)est medium for the production of diphtheria toxin. II. Charcoal. There is nothing to show that charcoal has any destructive influence on the cholera bacillus, nor on the B. typhosus or B. coli. It should be pointed oiit that the wood charcoal to which good effects are attributed in cholera was unsterilised, that with which the experiments were conducted was sterilised, and in tlie process any contained carbonic acid gas would be expelled. Since it is to this that Parkin mainly sets down its possible therapeutic value, his conclusion is not controverted by these experiments, though, as tlie quantity of gas in charcoal must be small, the results of the coincident experiments with the gas itself may be taken as powerfully negative to his view. III. Naphtha. Naphtha does not appear to possess so great a lethal power on the V. cholene as to promise great good from its use in the disease. It is much more fatal to the typhoid bacillus. IV. Creosote. This, even in very small amounts, is very fatal to both cliolera and typhoid, and, moreover, it even restrains markedly the growth of B. coli. V. Yeast. The Vilirio cholene shows signs of restraint in the presence of yeiist, but not to any great extent. The growth of B. tyiihosus and B. coli is not ju'cvented oi' much altere<I by growtli with yeast.