Thermal Death Points of Pathogenic Organisms

There is any evidence of spore formation. I am not, however, disposed to accept this test, and think it not improbable that some of the bacilli in the list form reproductive spores, which differ from those of the anthrax bacillus and certain other spore-forming bacilli, in the fact that they are destroyed at a comparatively low temperature. The only way to settle this question will be by the method of direct observation. If the refractive spherical bodies, supposed to be spores, which may be seen in potato cultures of the typhoid bacillus, in bouillon cultures of the bacillus of swine plague, etc., are observed to develop into bacilli, they will be demonstrated to be reproductive elements, or spores, notwithstanding the fact that they are destroyed by so low a temperature as 60° C. The following experiments have been made with pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacilli which are known to form spores : REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON DISINFECTANTS. TABLE NO. XIII. Organism. Date. Temperature to which exposed, ten minutes. Bacillus alvei (foul brood of bees) Wurtzel bacillus Bacillus butrycus December 8, December 30, January 24, January 28, December 28, December 31, 80% Cont. 90°, 100, Cont. 60°, Cont. 70°, 80, 90, Cont. 80°, Cont. 90°, 100, Cont. The following experiments have been made upon these spore-forming bacilli at a temperature of 100° C (212°F), the time of exposure being varied : TABLE NO. XIV. Organism. Date. Time of exposure in minutes. Anthrax bacillus February 9, 2,* 4, 6, 8, 10, Cont. A single colony. Bacillus alvei February 9, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, Cont. * A few colonies. Bacillus butrycus February 9, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, Cont. Wurtzel bacillus March 4, 2,* 4, 6, 8, 10, Cont. * A single colony. My experiments upon micrococci are recorded in the following table TABLE NO. XV. RECENT CULTURES OF MICROCOCCI IN FLESH-PEPTONE-GELATINE. Organism. Micrococcus of osteomyelitis Staphylococcus pyog. aureus Staphylococcus pyog. citreus Staphylococcus pyog. albus Streptococcus erysipelatus Micrococcus tetragenus Micrococcus Pasteuri Date. December 8, 1886. December 20, February 8, 1887. January 11, 1887. January 8, 1887. January 11, January 20, December 26, 1886. January 11, 1887. December 28, 1886. January 20, 1887. January 25, January 25, 1887. March 29, 1887. April 7, Temperature to which exposed ten minutes. 50°, 52, 54, 56, 58, Cont. 52°, 54, 56,* Cont. 54°, 56,* 58, Cont. 54°, 56,* 58, 60, Cont 58° 60,* 62, 64, Cont. 54° 56, 58,* 60.* 56° 58,* 60, Cont. 52°, 54, 56,* Cont. 54° 56, 58,* 60.* 48°, 50, 52, Cont. 50°, 52, 58, Cont. 54°, 56, Cont. 54°, 56,* 58, Cont. 50°, 52, 54, 56, 58, Cont. 46°, 48, 50,* 52, Cont. I46 REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON DISINFECTANTS. TABLE NO. XVI. FRESH CULTURES OF SARCINJE IN FLESH-PEPTONE-GELATINE. Organism. Sarcina aurantiaca Sarcina lutea Date. December 24, 1886. January 11, 1887. January 18, December 29, 1886. January 7, 1887. January 11, January 18, Temperature to which exposed. 56°, 58,* 60,* Cont. 54°, 56, 58,* 60. 58°, 60,* 62,* 64, Cont. 56°, 58, 60,* Cont. 60°,* 62, 64, Cont. Gonococcus of Neisser. Believing, as I now do, that this organism is the cause of the infectious virulence of gonorrheal secretions (see The Medical News of Feb. 26, 1887), I have made the following experiment with reference to its thermal death-point. Some gonorrheal pus from a recent case which had not undergone treatment, was collected for me by my friend, Dr. George H. Rohe, in the capillary tubes here-tofore described. A microscopical examination of stained cover-glass preparations showed that this pus contained numerous