Abstract
A series of 21 guinea pigs was inoculated with the Berkefeld filtrates of tuberculous material. Of 12 animals autopsied so far, acid-fast bacilli have been identified in the direct smears from the lung, inguinal and tracheo-bronchial glands of 3 of the animals. Prolonged search was necessary to demonstrate the organisms which, however, occurred usually in large clumps when found.
No definite evidence of tuberculosis was found by histological methods, except in the lungs of two of the positive animals. These showed small punctate areas of granulomatous, endotheloid hyperplasia, not specific for tuberculosis. The lesions did not differ materially from those found in the lungs of one out of twelve control animals examined.
Exhaustive search of the smears of the lymph glands and lungs of 12 uninoculated animals did not disclose the presence of any acid-fast bacilli. Cultures and inoculation experiments from positive animals yielded negative results.
These results as a whole appear in accord with those of the French school, who believe they have demonstrated the filtrability of this organism. Lacking as they do cultivability, or the power of producing classical tuberculosis, we feel that the nature of the acid-fast organism in the smears is uncertain as yet.
On the other hand, one of the animals inoculated with the filtrate under different conditions than the rest died between the 6th and 7th month of classical tuberculosis. The lesions involving the abdominal lymph glands, lungs and liver were widespread and unmistakable. Acid-fast bacilli were readily found and on injection again produced classical tuberculosis. A control animal inoculated with the same filtrate as the test animal but under the usual conditions died in five weeks of pneumonia but showed no eviaence of tuberculosis. Attempts to repeat this rather noteworthy result are under way.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.