The colon bacillus is present in prac tically all samples of American green cheese, and cultures of this germ may be boiled without destroying its tox icity. The toxin is contained within the germ-cell, from whicn it does not, at least under ordinary conditions, diffuse into the culture-media. The toxin is not extracted from the cell by either alcohol or ether. Very dilute alkalies do not extract the toxins from the cells. The germ-substance may be heated to a high temperature with water without destruc tion of the toxin. V. C. Vaughan (Amer. Med., May 18, 1901).
Treatment of Toxic-Food Poisoning. —The first indication is to remove the offending matter from the alimentary canal. Thorough washing out of the stomach, as soon as possible, with a siphon-tube till the washings come away clear is advised. While the good effect of this is apparent, a few cases may relapse within a couple of hours. A sec ond washing in these cases prevents the occurrence of further relapses. Stimu lants, chiefly in the form of brandy and strychnine, may then be administered, and an attempt made to clear the bowel of its irritating contents by castor-oil or other purgatives. In many cases, espe cially if symptoms of collapse supervene, the use of external heat (hot-water bags or hot bottles) will be found useful in conjunction with the brandy and strych nine, which is best given hypodermically.
Grain and Vegetable Poisoning. ERGOT.—Rye often becomes the host of a fungous parasite, Claviceps purpurce, when grown on virgin soil or when the soil is carelessly cultivated. Consumers of rye-bread, especially numerous in some parts of Europe, are therefore ex posed to its effects, and epidemics of ergotism have thus been caused, and are apt to occur immediately after harvest.
These are attributed to two active prin ciples: cornutin and sphacelinic acid.
Cornutin gives rise to marked nervous symptoms, the earliest of which are headache, formication in the extremities, and great weakness. These symptoms gradually increase in intensity until - cramps, convulsions, contractures, de lirium, and sometimes dementia, and symptoms of spinal sclerosis appear. Abortion also occurs in pregnant women. When a change of diet is resorted to, the symptoms gradually subside, but when the disease has induced contract ure, the latter is overcome with diffi culty. Sphacelinic acid, on the other hand, is thought to cause gangrene, be ginning at the hands and toes, and pre ceded by fornication, pain, spasm, anws thesia, and coldness. The disease pro ceeds as does true gangrene and is often complicated with pulmonary infarcts or septic pneumonia, followed by early death.
Conic.—Contaminated cornmeal bread often causes, especially in Italy and Spain, a disease termed maidismus, or pellagra, attributable also to putrefactive changes and to the formation of toxins. It is generally observed when fresh, moist cornmeal is used. The early symptoms are mainly gastrointestinal and cutaneous: indigestion, diarrhoea, anorexia, general weakness, roughness of the skin, and erythema, sometimes complicated with the formation of super ficial abscesses. Later on, marked nerv ous symptoms appear: spasm, paraplegia, cephalalgia, delirium, or hebetude, some times attended with exacerbations of violence with suicidal tendencies. Death from marasmus or some compli cation is apt to occur if the introduc tion of the toxic principle is continued.