Volume 4

Final report of the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the relations of human and animal tuberculosis.

  • Great Britain. Royal Commission on Tuberculosis
Date:
1911
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Final report of the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the relations of human and animal tuberculosis. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    a similar culture on glycerin-serum (from the dog) grew very definitely in large and small colonies. Glycerin- agar cultures, however, were not eugonic. Of the cultures obtained indirectly from the lung through guinea-pigs, none have grown like “S.C.,” but all might well be “B.S.” without admixture. On agar one culture alone grew, and that only moderately. On the other hand, on broth added to the serum cultures vigorous growth took place. The cultures from Calf 689 then on the whole were not like those of “S.C.” nor yet like mixed cultures of “B.S.” and “8.C.” in anything like equal propor- tions. Yet now and then an occasional eugonic character had suggested there might be a trace of “S.C.” in a culture which was composed almost entirely of “B.S.” And indeed if “S.C.” were present at all in the metastatic lesions of the calf, it was not reasonable to expect them to be present in anything more than very small numbers. Accordingly steps were taken to grow the culture under conditions which would favour any trace of “S.C.” that might be present, and cause it to become evident. For this purpose the various strains from the calf were grown for several generations on glycerin- serum. Since the dysgonic “ B.S.” improved itself in luxuriance of growth when grown on glycerin-serum, it was necessary to compare these strains with a series of cultures of “ B.S.” on the same medium. On this medium the strains of bacilli from the calf improved in luxuriance of growth and approximated to cultures of “S.C.” alone, nevertheless they were not so superior to the series of cultures of “ B.S.” alone on this medium that one could draw any safe conclusions from these cultural characters. Calf 649, as stated above, was injected on March 15, 1905 with 50 mg. of “S.C.” culture on one side of the neck and 50 mg. of “B.S.” onthe other. It was killed when dying, 41 days later, and was found to have general tuberculosis. Cultures were raised from the greatt horacic gland, renal lymph gland, and spleen. The culture from the great thoracic gland cannot be considered eugonic. Its growth on glycerin- serum was no better than that of “B.S.” itself at. this period, and it failed to grow on agar. It is true that it quickly learnt to grow well in a series of glycerin-serum culture, but without any marked superiority over a similar series of “ B.S.” cultures. The cultures from the renal gland and the spleen were similar to those from the prescapular gland, with ~ the important exception that on one of the agar tubes from the spleen two large pyramidal wrinkled colonies. appeared, strains raised from which are now being followed up. It has been stated above that large and small colonies were seen on a glycerin-serum tube sown with the strain derived from the spleen of Calf 689. Serum cultures sown from each variety of colonies were injected into rabbits. Both proved fully virulent. (Group II.) (Group I.) Marcu 15, 1905. CaL¥F INJECTIONS. [H.°8.4 8:0” [H. 10. “B.S.” BULL-CALF 649. Subcutaneous. Dose : 50 mg. “ 8.C.” on left eens - 689. Subcutaneous. side, 50 mg. “ B.S.” on right : f mg. “B.S.,” mixed before side, prescapular region, Number. ape Result. injection. Killed, when dying: April 25, Bs Killed, when very ill: 1905. May 2, 1905. 41 days. 299 | Died,16days; Acute tuberculosis. ? any 48 days. other cause of death. P.M. — General tnubereu- | | P.M. — General tubercu- losis, severe. losis. GUINEA-PIGS [Intraperitoneal]. BULL-CALF 757. Subcutaneous. Number. | Duration of Life. Result. Emulsion of lung. , Dose: 85,340,000 T.B. . 1 Killed, when very ill : His<-of} 0 prescapulae 531 Dict eave tds June 24, 1905. gland of Calf 689. 532 peUOa 4, G.T 53 days. Da P.M. — General tuberecu- ' ; 533 » 29 55 G.T losis, moderately severe. Hi. of thoracic gland 534 » 30 » G.T 535 rede chy ot Gall E. of renal gland ,., 536 pn HO ye Go. r eer Pie See G.T BK. of lung ... es | 7: A food