Presence of a Specific Toxic Factor in the Stools and Urines of Poliomyelitis Patients

Abstract

The subcutaneous injection of urine specimens or saline emulsions of stools obtained from patients ill with poliomyelitis brought about the death of guinea pigs in greater numbers than similar specimens obtained from normal individuals.

Of 201 guinea pigs injected with stool suspensions from infantile paralysis patients, 66% died and 95% had reactions ranging from a simple local induration to a generalized cystic condition of the abdomen.

Of 120 guinea pigs injected with stool suspensions from normal adults, 41% died and 60% had local or generalized skin reactions.

Of 42 guinea pigs injected with stool suspensions from normal infants, 3% died and 21% had local or generalized skin reactions.

Of 145 guinea pigs injected with suspensions of stools from patients ill with diseases other than infantile paralysis, 23% died and 50% had local or generalized skin reactions.

Of 214 guinea pigs injected subcutaneously with urines from infantile paralysis patients, 14% died and 61% had local or generalized skin reactions.

Of 51 guinea pigs injected with urines from normal patients, none died and but 5% showed local reactions.

Of 139 guinea pigs injected with urines of patients with diseases other than poliomyelitis, 7% died and 12% had local reactions.

Convalescent poliomyelitis serum previously injected intraperi-toneally into guinea pigs prolonged their lives, prevented massive local reactions or even protected them from death when later they were injected with stool emulsions or urine specimens from poliomyelitis patients.

That there was a specific toxic factor in the stools and urines of poliomyelitis patients was evidenced by the fact that serum taken from patients at the height of the disease (51 out of 87 cases) did not protect, while convalescent serum taken from the same patients some 21 days after the infection had started, protected guinea pigs which were later injected with stool suspensions or urine specimens obtained from poliomyelitis patients.