A watery extract of lathyrus peas and various salts isolated from them exert a marked action on the brain and spinal cord.

The salts are organic and inorganic phosphoric acid compounds, all of them having an essentially similar action, but differing in toxicity and in their local irritating effect.

Moderate doses cause torpor and depression, larger doses clonic-tonic spasms.

The action is probably a direct one and not indirect through causing a drop in the blood calcium.

Recent research has shown that the term “anti-infective” applied to vitamin A is misleading and inaccurate. Harris (1933) has discussed the evidence which shows that vitamin A cannot be regarded as a general antiinfective agent: the actual relation of the vitamin to infection has been well defined by Cramer, who states (1930) that “an adequate supply of vitamin A is a powerful prophylactic against infections entering by mucous membranes, but there is no evidence that it can prevent or cure those infections which enter by the blood stream or by subcutaneous tissues.”

In a series of publications issued from the Institut Prophylactique in Paris, Vernes and his co-workers (1926) described a flocculation method for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in man. This method was first elaborated for the diagnosis of syphilis. Various modifications were then introduced and it was found that the test could be applied to the diagnosis of human tuberculosis. Finally a standard technique was laid down. This consisted of measuring by means of the Vernes-Bricq-Yvon photometer the amount of flocculation which took place during 4 hours' incubation at 20° C. when 0·6 c.c. of resorcinol (1·25 per cent.) was added to an equal volume of the blood serum under test. Readings were taken immediately the resorcinol was added and again at the end of the incubation period. The difference between these readings gave the value on which the diagnosis was made. If this were below 30 the serum was considered normal. Values over 30 indicated infection, the higher the number the more advanced the infection. Correlation of these figures with clinical examination showed that very frequently the photometer value confirmed the clinical findings, and that in some cases the course of the disease could be forecast and followed by testing a number of blood samples over a period.

1. A typical uncomplicated case of silicosis with fatal outcome in a porcelain turner is described.

2. Microscopic examination of lung tissue and of ashes therefrom showed numerous mineral needles resembling those found in kaolin from his factory.

3. The findings in this case are taken to support in part the theory advanced by W. R. Jones, that silicosis can be produced by fibrous minerals.

We are indebted to Mr Bögvad, M.S., for valuable aid in the mineralogical diagnosis.

1. This paper reports the results obtained by the cultivation of the bacteria of ten batches each of ten mussels, 100 mussels in all, in lactose bile broth.

2. From these mussels 371 cultures of bacteria were obtained. 30·7 per cent, of these were not Gram-negative bacilli, 10·0 per cent. were Gram-negative bacilli which did not ferment lactose and glucose, 59·3 per cent. were coliform bacilli.

3. By reading the results in lactose bile broth after 24 hours' incubation, and by regarding as positive those tubes which show strong acid and good gas production the most reliable results were obtained. 93·0 per cent. of all typical, and 83·8 per cent. of all typical and atypical B. coli found gave this reaction. 37·6 per cent. of the organisms giving this reaction were typical B. coli, 61·1 per cent. of them were typical or atypical B. coli, and 97·2 per cent. of them were coliform bacilli.

4. The writer's method is described in detail. Its essentials are the rejection of shell fluid, the standardisation of the volume of each mussel at 25 c.c. by the addition of saline, the inoculation of three volumes of mussel mince into lactose bile broth—0·5, 0·1 and 0·02 cc., each in duplicate, and the regarding as positive each of these amounts only when acid and gas are produced in 24 hours in both tubes.

5. It is suggested that a batch of mussels showing more than seven positives in the tubes inoculated with 0·5 cc.. of mince, or more than three in the tubes inoculated with 0·1 c.c. or more than one in the tubes inoculated with 0·02 c.c. should be considered as contaminated to an undesirable extent.

6. Three types of solid media—Salle's, MacConkey's and Burke-Gaffney's— were tested. None were considered suitable for the bacteriological examination of mussels.

7. Reasons are given for considering any solid medium inferior to fluid medium for the bacteriological examination of mussels.

In previous studies of the bacterial flora of the upper respiratory tract and its variations during attacks of acute coryza (Hoyle, 1932), it was found that there was in many cases a striking relationship between the appearance of certain organisms with definite pathogenic properties towards the lower animals, in the upper respiratory tract, and the occurrence of acute infections. This relationship was especially marked in the case of the influenza bacillus, and it was suggested that this organism played a prominent part in the aetiology of upper respiratory infections. The significance of the influenza bacillus in acute coryza has been noted by various workers (Noble, Fisher and Brainard, 1928; Burky and Smillie, 1929; Webster and Clow, 1932; Kneeland and Dawes, 1932), but on the other hand various observers have found the incidence of influenza bacilli in the respiratory tract to be the same in normal health and in acute coryza, and Fleming (1929) and Fleming and Maclean (1930) have devised a technique by means of which they claim to have isolated influenza bacilli in 100 per cent, of normal throats. One possible explanation of these conflicting results may be found in the absence of any very exact criterion of what constitutes a typical influenza bacillus.

A series of nine cases of paratyphoid fever due to infection with anaerogenic strains of B. paratyphosus B are recorded.

Biological examination of these strains shows no difference from the ordinary type of B. paratyphosus B except the inability to produce gas from any “sugar.”

Serologically these strains are identical with the aerogenic type of the organism.

These anaerogenic strains retain their inability to produce gas from “sugar” after subculture on artificial media for a considerable period, and cultivation on a number of different fluid media failed to restore the gas producing power.

In the organic salt fermentation test B. paratyphosus B gives a characteristic reaction which is also given by the anaerogenic strains.

The fermentative varieties of B. paratyphosus B defined by Kristensen and Bojlèn are definite and can be identified as a matter of practical routine, but the test is delicate and requires care in the preparation of the media and especially in the Bitter test.

The existence of these apparently stable fermentative varieties of B. paratyphosus B is likely to be of use in epidemiological investigations.

We wish to thank a number of people whose assistance has made it possible for us to carry out this work. Dr J. A. Charles, Medical Officer of Health, Newcastle-on-Tyne, for permission to publish these cases; Dr E. F. Dawson-Walker, Assistant M.O.H., for histories and specimens from the cases. Dr W. M. Scott for many cultures and other assistance.

Dr M. Kristensen, Copenhagen, Dr M. A. C. Buckell, Bradford, Dr P. L. Sutherland, Wakefield, for paratyphoid cultures and Dr J. W. H. Morrison, M.O.H., Blaydon-on-Tyne, for a number of specimens.

1. Anaerogenic races of B. paratyphosus B are stable in ordinary artificial culture.

2. Aerogenic variants of anaerogenic strains can be produced (though the anaerogenic strain persists) by growth in dextrose or mannitol with a relatively large amount of sodium formate. Such variants can then produce gas from all the other “sugars” fermentable by B. paratyphosus B.

3. Failure to produce gas from sugars by anaerogenic races is due to deficiency in the power of breaking down the formate produced in the first stage of fermentation.

4. A mixture of dextrose and formate in peptone water reveals the latent capacity for gas production in anaerogenic races of B. paratyphosus B. This confirms the observations of Grey (1914, 1920, 1924).

Since this work was done, we have seen the paper of Pot and Tasman (1932) in which they succeed in isolating aerogenic variants from anaerogenic cultures of B. paratyphosus B by continued cultivation in 2 per cent. calcium formate, in a somewhat similar manner as we have done with the mixture of dextrose and sodium formate.

In 1928–9 was published the result of an investigation into the incidence of tumours of the respiratory tract based on an analysis of the post-mortem records of the General Infirmary at Leeds between the years 1891 and 1927 inclusive. It was shown that there had been no increase in intrathoracic cancer at post-mortem during this period, that the incidence was not as high in Leeds as it was in Manchester and that the disease affected men more commonly than women in the proportion of 3½: 1. It was also shown that there was a general tendency towards an increase in lung cancer in post-mortem statistics of other hospitals, especially in Germany.

By feeding monkeys on healthy rye, wheat and other cereal and leguminous seeds convulsive and paralytic symptoms similar to those of convulsive ergotism in man can be produced.

Large amounts of cold-water extracts of the grains given to monkeys per os may cause the symptoms acutely, just as large meals of rye bread have occasionally been reported to do in man.

Salts of phytic acid and decomposition products from it, isolated from all these grains and given to monkeys by the stomach or hypodermically, occassion symptoms exactly similar to those caused by feeding the grains.

The occurrence of poisoning when these grains are consumed as food is partly a question of the quantity consumed and partly a question of the ability of the consumer to break down in the bowel the poisonous phytates and so render them innocuous. If they are not fully broken down they are absorbed and act as poisons to the nervouse system.

The pathological lesions in the nervous system of monkeys are the same as those which are described as occurring in convulsive ergotism in man.

Convulsive ergotism is not a “deficiency” disease, nor is it ergot disease, but is caused by poisons normally present in rye and other grains.

1. Samples of milk from 183 cows were examined, and seventeen (9·2 per cent.) yielded Br. abortus.

2. Two hundred and two samples of butter, margarine, cheese, and icecream failed to yield Br. abortus, although samples of locally prepared butter and cheese both contained tubercle bacilli.

3. Examination of the serum from slaughtermen and men working in allied trades showed some evidence of latent infection, but no indication of much real illness due to Br. abortus.

4. Examination of the sera of sheep failed to show any evidence that these animals become infected with Br. abortus.

5. The examination of sera and organs from pigs failed to show any evidence that the porcine type of Br. abortus occurs.

It is now generally accepted that certain bacterial toxins are able to give rise to fatty degeneration in tissues and may bring about marked changes of this nature in the heart, liver, kidneys and other organs. When a cell is damaged a state of cloudy swelling or of parenchymatous degeneration generally occurs. The fat is distributed throughout the cell as fine globules and the condition is known as fatty degeneration. Numerous workers (see References) are agreed that many toxins, particularly diphtheria toxin, may cause a widespread damage to cells of the body in this way. The processes involved in the deposition of this fat have led to much discussion and speculation, but do not concern us here.

1. That the epidemic was due to infection of the water supply is borne out by the following points:

(a) The explosive character of the outbreak as shown in Graph II which is characterised by a rapid rise to peak at the end of third week followed by a sharp fall and a gradual tailing off to the end of the epidemic.

(b) The widespread distribution of cases (see Map), no area supplied by water from the city having escaped.

(c) The rapid decline which followed the adoption of appropriate measures to deal with the water supply.

2. 255 persons in the city area (including the 12 military cases) were definitely affected (equivalent to a rate of 3·1 per 1000 of the population). As shown by the rise in the death-rate for the rural area it is apparent that a far greater number of persons were actually attacked.

3. The outbreak had its origin in a defective manhole in the Mental Hospital grounds whereby the sewage overflowed into a rubble drain and infected the water supply. This defect had existed for twenty-five years, and an epidemic in the hospital fifteen years previously established the reservoir from which infection was disseminated through the city.

4. The spread of typhoid was favoured by unsatisfactory arrangements for the filtration of the water supply. This is borne out by the endemic character of the disease prior to the installation of an effective filtration plant.

5. The institution of this plant was followed by an immediate reduction in the incidence of the disease until, as at the present time, water-borne typhoid has been practically eliminated.

6. The value of such a plant combined with chlorination and bacteriological examination has been shown.

1. The commonly occurring bacteria may be divided into four groups on the basis of their behaviour at various temperatures. These are (i) the Staphylococci, not growing below 10° C, (ii) most strains of B. coli, B. proteus and Micrococci ceasing growth in the range 5−0° C, (iii) some strains of B. proteus etc. capable of growth at 0° C, (iv) many strains of Achromobacter, Pseudo monas, and various yeasts growing rapidly at 0° C. (sometimes in 5 days), and down to about −5° C. on unfrozen media.

2. Bacterial growth on frozen media has not been observed below −3° C.

The author is indebted to Dr G. S. Graham-Smith, F.R.S., who read the manuscript, to Mr W. A. Bmpey for the supply of cultures, and to Mr J. Barlow for assistance in the experimental work.