Report to the corporation of Belfast on a bacterial investigation of the experimental contact beds for the treatment of sewage / [J. Lorrain Smith].

  • Smith, J. Lorrain (James Lorrain), 1862-1931.
Date:
1901
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report to the corporation of Belfast on a bacterial investigation of the experimental contact beds for the treatment of sewage / [J. Lorrain Smith]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    method of isolating it. was used, and the sewage was diluted according to die rule laid down by Houston. The evidence of its presence also was very scanty, and the results were parallel to those regarding b. coli communis. In the earlier observations there was occasionally some evidence in the milk tubes of imperfect clotting and whey formation; but it was not till late inthe investigation, i.e, in May and June, when evidence of b. coli became clear, that the milk tubes showed the typical ragged clot, and clear whey and gas, associated with the growth of b. enteritidis sporogenes. The following is the record of the observations :— January 6th.—Nil. „ 20th.—Nil. ,, 29th.—Imperfect clots only ; no distinct separation of whey in tubes containing; *1 c.c. of sewage. February 5th.—Indistinct clottings negative. „ 12th.—Nil. „ 19th.—Clots with some watery whey, no gas, in '1 c.c. tubes. March 3rd.—Atypical clotting, Ac., in ‘1 c.c. tubes. ,, 10th.—Atypical. „ 22nd.—Nil. May 31st.—Crude Sewage, -01 c.c., clot, Ac., typical = 100 per c.c. Sedimented Sewage, -1 c.c., typical = 10 per c.c. Effluent T., -1 c.c., typical = 10 per c.c. Effluent II. -1 c.c. and '01 c.c. typical = 100 per c.c. June 7th.—Crude Sewage ... *1 c.c. and ’01 c.c. typical = 100 per c.c. „ Sedimented Sewage *1 c.c. and -01 c.c. typical = 100 „ Effluent I. ... -1 c.c. and -01 c.c. typical = 100 ,i Effluent II. ... *1 c.c. typical = 10 It is of great interest that these bacteria of definite intestinal origin vi/. : b. coli communis and b. enteritidis sporogenes—should have increased so markedly at the beginning of June. It was unfortunately impossible to follow up the investigation of this increase. During April and the first half of May no samples were taken. It is curious, however, to note that about the period of this increase (June) an epidemic of typhoid fever had