Vibrios are present in sewage and Seine water, Paris, and in Verseilles drinking-water, when no cholera is pres ent. Sanarelli (Ann. de Must. Pasteur, vol. vii, p. 693, '95).
Same observations in the Spree, Oder, and Havel streams and Berlin water supply. ln the latter two the vibrio was found pathogenic and gave cholera-red reaction. The Massowah vibrio and phosphorescent vibrios from Hamburg are probably the trim cholera vibrios. Pfeiffer (Zeit. f. Hygiene u.Infectionskr., B. 1, p. 759, '95).
There are 150 varieties of vibrios differ ing greatly from Koch's, but growing typical specimens for some time in water. Dunbar (Deut. med. Woeh., p. I3S, '95).
Evidence showing direct, positive agency of polluted water in the causa tion and spread of Asiatic cholera. Oetvfis (Le Bull. MCA., Jan. 9, '95); Fallot. Cassoute, and Bouissou (Mar seille-mild., Oct. 1, '94); Ktirber (Zeit f. Hygiene Infectionskr., p. 161, '95); von Heusinger and C. Friinkel (Berliner klin. Woch., Mar. 25, '95) ; Clemow (Brit. Med. Jour., Oct. 13, '94).
Experiments showing that vibrios may survive an entire winter and freezing. Kasansky (Centralb. f. Bakt. u. Para sitenk., p. 1S4, '93).
Vibrios in ftecal matter, as a rule, die within the first 20 days, seldom living 30. Vibrios are sometimes present without diarrhcea or other choleraic symptoms, even in formed stools. Rumpel (Berliner klin. Woch., No. 4, '95); Abel and Clausen (Centralb. f. Bact. u. Parasitenk., B. 17, p. 77, '95).
The water of a town containing sew age in which fmcal material, urine, etc., is present rapidly destroys the vitality of cholera, vibrios, and the da,nger of a spreading of cholera by canal-water or sewage in which no ftecal material or only a very small quantity is present is much greater. Stutzer (Centr. f. Bakt., Parasitenk., etc., p. 200, '9S).
Correspondence between cholera and the prevalence of comma bacteria in well-water of Gujerat during the famine of 1900. The results of researches show that none of the comma-shaped bacteria isolated from Gujerat waters could be termed true cholera vibrio. There was, however, a marked resemblance mor phologically, biologically, and tinctori ally with the true cholera-producing microbe. So marked was this similarity that it is personally believed that the bacteria found belonged to the tribe of curved bacteria, which includes the true cholera-producing microbes. In many
of the localities where these comma, bacteria were found cases of true cholera were present, which shows an enhanced significance between the inci dence of cholera in a locality and the presence of curved comma-shaped micro organisms. G. Lamb (Phila. Med. Jour., from Lancet, Apr. 20, 1901).
But, though Pettenkofer's theory is based upon serious arguments, on the other hand, it is not less demonstrated, according to the views of Koch, that cholera, in a large proportion of cases, is transmitted through drinking-water and several kinds of food, as milk, fresh vegetables, fruits, etc., soiled by the jecta, showing in the clearest manner possible, that germs, coming from stools of choleraic patients, are swallowed and find their way to the stomach and to the intestine, whose alkaline juice is neces sary for their growth, and in which the entire process of cholera runs its course.
Vibrios are destroyed in fresh milk within twelve hours. Hesse (Deutsche Viertel. f. offentliche Gesund., B. 26, p.
652, '05).
Experiments showing that cholera vibrios live at least thirty-eight hours in milk, and that they develop until the milk coagulates at ordinary teniperature. They may even live in coagulated milk. Basenau (Arehiv f. Hyg., B. 23, H. 2, '95).
The infection, however, may be still inhaled, coughed up, and afterward swal lowed; so that a diffusion of the dried, pulverized stools through the air cannot be excluded. But in every case the con tagion of cholera enters the system through the digestive apparatus.
Indeed, we are of the opinion that both theories are in accordance with fact, and that, while direct infection through drinking-water and food is an important factor in the propagation of the disease, on the other hand, the de velopment of epidemics and the prefer ence shown by cholera for certain places can only be explained by certain unsani tary conditions and a peculiar constitu tion of their soil, especially favorable to the life and growth of the cholera germs. Asiatic cholera must be regarded, there fore, as a contagious and miasmatic disease.