Abstract
Goldblatt and I 1 , 2 , 3 demonstrated that by immunization with living or heat killed colon bacilli an immunity could be conferred upon dogs against experimental colon bacillus and fecal peritonitis. We found the immunity to be efficient 17 to 18 days after the first immunizing injection and that living organisms produced a greater protection than heat killed bacteria. Confirmatory evidence of an establishment of an immunity was supplied by Herrmann. 4
The purpose of the work was to determine the shortest time in which an immunity could be conferred upon an animal so that it could survive an experimentally produced peritonitis. To determine the efficacy of different antigens, heat killed colon bacilli (culture 300) and a mixture of heat killed colon bacillus, streptococcus, B. pyocyaneus, enterococcus, Bacillus mucosus capsulatus and B. welchii was used. The bacteria composing the mixture were isolated from appendices with appendicitis and were of a determined marked virulence to animals. The second variable factor to be determined was the number of injections given to the animal. All the injections were administered intraperitoneally. The experimental peritonitis was produced either by injecting intraperitoneally into dogs/the washings of 3 slants of live B. coli (300) suspended in 40 cc. of 2½% gum tragacanth or the washings of 3 slants of the bacterial mixture suspended in 40 cc. of a 2½% gum tragacanth.
A series of 4 groups of dogs were immunized with heat killed colon bacilli. One group (12 animals) had 1 injection of 1 billion organisms and on the following day was given B. coli peritonitis. Of the 12 animals, 10 died. The second group (10 animals) had 2 injections, the first of 1 billion bacteria and the second on the next day of 2 billion organisms.
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