On the Bacteriology of Asylum Dysentery

Abstract

(1) A number of Dysentery bacilli of the mannite-fermenting type have been isolated from an English asylum.(2) These bacilli may be divided into two sub-groups, (a) those that do, and (b) those that do not (1) ferment sorbite and (2) form indol in peptone beef broth in six days.(3) Several attempts to infect a monkey with sorbite-fermenting strains were not successful.(4) No Dysentery bacilli were found in an examination of a considerable number of flies infesting the surroundings of chronic and acute cases of bacillary dysentery.My thanks are due to Dr H. de R. Morgan for kindly co-operation in part of this work, to Dr J. C. G. Ledingham for his valuable advice and assistance at all times, and to Dr W. F. Menzies for supplying the material for examination.