On the culture in vitro of Councilmania lafleuri and Endamoeba coli.

Abstract

During the past year cultures have been made by us from fifty stools from eight cases of infection by intestinal amœbae. Three of these had Endamoeba coli and Councilmania lafleuri, three had C. lafleuri, and two had E. coli. Upon culture of stools from the first group both species of amœba appeared in the cultures from two of the three cases. Of the third only one attempt with 6 tubes was made. Not infrequently attempts at culture on any case will fail from some stools. In the second group containing infections of C. lafleuri, this species only was obtained in cultures. In the third group containing E. coli this was obtained in culture from one of the two cases. One stool only, however, was used from each case.

Cultures have been made from 49 stools. All cases cultured had infections of Blastocystis. This organism invariably overgrows cultures of amœba sooner or later, generally within four to six days in Boeck's media. Transplants of C. lafleuri must be made every twenty-four to forty-eight hours. If, however, the dextrose is omitted, cultures have survived with transplantation for fourteen days, and in one instance only motile amœbae survived in the same tube for twelve days. In Locke's solution with 0.5 per cent defibrinated rat's blood plus 1:60500 acroflavine transferred cultures were continued for twenty-one and twenty-eight days in two instances. In case of E. coli no culture could be continued beyond seven days in any of the media. It is much more susceptible than C. lafleuri and is always much less abundant than that species in both the stools and the cultures.

In a peptone medium made from Lilly's liquid peptone reduced one half by evaporation, and removal of the alcohol, plus 0.5 per cent sodium chloride, with and without egg slant, only C. lafleuri grew, though E. coli was also present in the stool.