A report of microscopical and physiological researches into the nature of the agent or agents producing cholera / by T.R. Lewis and D.D. Cunningham.

  • Lewis, T. R. (Timothy Richards), 1841-1886.
Date:
1872
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A report of microscopical and physiological researches into the nature of the agent or agents producing cholera / by T.R. Lewis and D.D. Cunningham. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    52/126 (page 42)
    ExrERiMENT XVI.—A licaltliy pariah dog was put under the influence of chloroform at 7 a. m., and lialf an ounce of Material used (supernatant SUpCmatant^ fluid of a cholcraic 8^*ho^B.^°'''*°^'^' death ifli cvacualioii* wliicli liad been kept for four davs was injected into the right brachial vein. The fluid injected was peculiarly foBtid, and was full of fine granular debris and bacteria. The animal rapidly recovered from the influence of the cliloro- form, but continued in a profoundly depressed condition until about 1 p. m,, when he died. During the interval he neither vomited nor passed any stool. A post-mortem examination was performed at 4-30 p. m. Post-mortem appearances: ''^^'^^^^ strOUgly marked. There was no fluid in the peritoneal cavity ; but there was a certain amount of injection of the omentum and mesentery with a good deal of dark pig- mentary deposit in the same localities. The intestines were very pale, externally almost white. Throughout the entire com'se of the small intestines, from diS^Ss\tiorethTm^uc^ the pylorus to the ileo-coecal valve, ^^tesTiSS^'^^ °' ^'^'^ the mucous membrane was congested, softened, and apparently partially disorganised. It was coated with a thick layer of semi-fluid mucous material; and on this being wiped ofi', the sm-face beneath presented a brush-like aspect due to the injection of the villi. The material was, in some parts, yellowish- white ; but in general was of various shades of pink and resembled strawberry-cream in appearance. On microscopic examination, it was found to be com- TMs creamy fluid, on mi- posf d almost entirely of cyUndi'ical S^?&stln! epithelmm mixed with bacteria and tu-eiy of perfectly preserved amorplious particlcs. The lars^c in- cylmdxical epithelium. ii- i i ° testme also contained pinkish mucus, but the membrane was not injected save along the edges of the rugae. The stomach contained semi-digested * This dejection was passed by a patient in the General Hospital. He was a sailor who had been in the harbour for only three days, and who had, previous to his seizure, never been over the side of the ship. The symptoms came on with extreme violence and sudden- ness, whilst he was in full health. The evacuations were extremely characteristic, and the term rice-water was peculiarly adapted to describe their appearance. That examined was passed two hours after seizure. On microscopic examination, the flocculi were found to consist entirely of brightly refractive cells, resembling those found in recent exudations, embedded in shreds of fibrinous material (so perfect was the resemblance that slides consisting of the flocculi and slides of quite recent ilocculeut exudation, removed from the surface of the liver, associated with peritonitis, when placed under separate microscopes could not be distinguished the one from the other); these cells in the course of a few hours liroko down completely, whereupon the cxtraordiuai-y resemblance which this dejcctiou bore to rice- water disappeared.