NOTE ON THE BACTERIOLOGY OF " CROFTON HALL " TRAGEDY.
THE
By Sukgn.-Lt.-Col. D. D. CUNINGHAM, f.r.s. The materials connected with the outbreak of ptomaine poisoning on the Crofton Hall, which were submitted to me for examination, consisted of three samples of brine employed in the ship, and the intestinal discharges of several of the cases of disease subsequent to their admission into the General Hospital. The samples of brine were sent to me by Dr. Simpson, the Health Officer of Calcutta, and were labelled as follows :? No. 1. No. 2.
First visit, JuneI4tb. 15th. Second ,, ?
No. 3.
,,
Nos. land 2. the
?
They
?
were
?
new
brine.
derived from thebrine and were alike in ochre color, and smell. The reaction
decaying beef, characters, turbid, of a pale
containing with
was
ing.
a
faint
disagreeable
strongly acid, becoming faintly Neither of them gave any
so on
purple
dry-
color
Dec. 1892.J
CUNINGHAM ON THE BACTERIOLOGY OF
with nitric and
acids.
sulphuric
Cover-glass
"
CROFTON HALL."
863
Continuous series of cultivations of these have
preparations showed a sprinkling of straight given the following results:? in 10o/? common gelatine bacilli, mostly of large size, together with a When cultivated takes media, liquefaction place along the entire few cocci and diplococci and bodies resembling
There were also numerous and masses present. Platecultivations derived from tliem yielded large numbers of coloiiies of six different forms of straight bacteria and bacilli, the majority of them being of very considerable sizej
fungal conidia. amorphous flakes
No.. 3 was colorless, odourless, almost limThe reaction was very faintly acid, be-
pid.
coming
neutral
drying.
on
Amorphous
flakes
A platepresent in Ismail numbers. cultivation yielded only twenty colonies, which, in all cases save one, resembled certain of those were
present in Nos. 1 and 2. As in No. 1 and 2, there was no indication of the presence of commas of any kind. Two of the specimens of intestinal discharges were submitted to detailed examination. They were derived from two distinct cases of the disease, and gave the following results:? I.?This was labelled No. 4 in the lleturns:? The material consisted of a grey watery fluid of strong offensive odour and faintly acid reaction. A certain amount of deposit was Case
Hospital
present, apparently containing undigested portions of food. On treatment with nitric acid the fluid gave an intense and persistent purple color. Cover-
glass preparations
failed
to
show any
comma-
bacilli,,, and plate-cultivations gave a similar result,'although yielding numerous colonies of
three distinct forms of bacilli. None of these were capable" of interstitial growth in agar-agar media. Case II.?This was labelled No. 1 in the Hos-
pital Returns. The material consisted of a large quantity of very pale ochreous, watery, neutral fluid, and a very abundant deposit of tenacious, white flocculi. The smell was strong and offensive. On treatment 'with nitric acid the fluid gave strong effervescense and became of a pinkish ochre into pure ochre. preparations showed that the
color, passing rapidly
Cover-glass
on
flocculi in some places were occupied by very abundant and almost pure growth of well-formed comma-bacilli. became crowded with coloof straight bacilli various kinds, a certain number of cocci and and one or two of well-formed com-
A
plate-cultivation
nies, the majority consisting of
diplococci,
ma-bacilli. A tube cultivation from
one
of the colonies
pf comma's showed very rapid growth, especially mterstitiaUy, consisting of Comma-bacilli of very shrull size."
?
??
?
'
>
of the needle track within 24 hours at between 60? and 70? F., and when the extent of liquefaction of the surface is still very limited. When grown in agar-agar medin, the growth, and especially the interstitial growth, The surface growth is tenacioua is very rapid. or In broth, clouding of the medium ocropy. At the close of 24 hours curs very slowly. the fluid is only lightly clouded, but a clotted pellicle and a well-developed white marginal ring are usually present. Treated with nitric and sulphuric acids, it at this time becomes of a light ochreous purple, but at 48 hours it gives
length
temperatures
deep purple.
growth on potatoes have ever presented themselves, although Very
JNo traces of
hitherto
from' many of the latter have been inoculated cultivations on both neutral and acid agar-agar media.
THE
By Sukgn.-Lt.-Col. D. D. CUNINGHAM, f.r.s. The materials connected with the outbreak of ptomaine poisoning on the Crofton Hall, which were submitted to me for examination, consisted of three samples of brine employed in the ship, and the intestinal discharges of several of the cases of disease subsequent to their admission into the General Hospital. The samples of brine were sent to me by Dr. Simpson, the Health Officer of Calcutta, and were labelled as follows :? No. 1. No. 2.
First visit, JuneI4tb. 15th. Second ,, ?
No. 3.
,,
Nos. land 2. the
?
They
?
were
?
new
brine.
derived from thebrine and were alike in ochre color, and smell. The reaction
decaying beef, characters, turbid, of a pale
containing with
was
ing.
a
faint
disagreeable
strongly acid, becoming faintly Neither of them gave any
so on
purple
dry-
color
Dec. 1892.J
CUNINGHAM ON THE BACTERIOLOGY OF
with nitric and
acids.
sulphuric
Cover-glass
"
CROFTON HALL."
863
Continuous series of cultivations of these have
preparations showed a sprinkling of straight given the following results:? in 10o/? common gelatine bacilli, mostly of large size, together with a When cultivated takes media, liquefaction place along the entire few cocci and diplococci and bodies resembling
There were also numerous and masses present. Platecultivations derived from tliem yielded large numbers of coloiiies of six different forms of straight bacteria and bacilli, the majority of them being of very considerable sizej
fungal conidia. amorphous flakes
No.. 3 was colorless, odourless, almost limThe reaction was very faintly acid, be-
pid.
coming
neutral
drying.
on
Amorphous
flakes
A platepresent in Ismail numbers. cultivation yielded only twenty colonies, which, in all cases save one, resembled certain of those were
present in Nos. 1 and 2. As in No. 1 and 2, there was no indication of the presence of commas of any kind. Two of the specimens of intestinal discharges were submitted to detailed examination. They were derived from two distinct cases of the disease, and gave the following results:? I.?This was labelled No. 4 in the lleturns:? The material consisted of a grey watery fluid of strong offensive odour and faintly acid reaction. A certain amount of deposit was Case
Hospital
present, apparently containing undigested portions of food. On treatment with nitric acid the fluid gave an intense and persistent purple color. Cover-
glass preparations
failed
to
show any
comma-
bacilli,,, and plate-cultivations gave a similar result,'although yielding numerous colonies of
three distinct forms of bacilli. None of these were capable" of interstitial growth in agar-agar media. Case II.?This was labelled No. 1 in the Hos-
pital Returns. The material consisted of a large quantity of very pale ochreous, watery, neutral fluid, and a very abundant deposit of tenacious, white flocculi. The smell was strong and offensive. On treatment 'with nitric acid the fluid gave strong effervescense and became of a pinkish ochre into pure ochre. preparations showed that the
color, passing rapidly
Cover-glass
on
flocculi in some places were occupied by very abundant and almost pure growth of well-formed comma-bacilli. became crowded with coloof straight bacilli various kinds, a certain number of cocci and and one or two of well-formed com-
A
plate-cultivation
nies, the majority consisting of
diplococci,
ma-bacilli. A tube cultivation from
one
of the colonies
pf comma's showed very rapid growth, especially mterstitiaUy, consisting of Comma-bacilli of very shrull size."
?
??
?
'
>
of the needle track within 24 hours at between 60? and 70? F., and when the extent of liquefaction of the surface is still very limited. When grown in agar-agar medin, the growth, and especially the interstitial growth, The surface growth is tenacioua is very rapid. or In broth, clouding of the medium ocropy. At the close of 24 hours curs very slowly. the fluid is only lightly clouded, but a clotted pellicle and a well-developed white marginal ring are usually present. Treated with nitric and sulphuric acids, it at this time becomes of a light ochreous purple, but at 48 hours it gives
length
temperatures
deep purple.
growth on potatoes have ever presented themselves, although Very
JNo traces of
hitherto
from' many of the latter have been inoculated cultivations on both neutral and acid agar-agar media.
