The bacteriological examination of food and water / by William G. Savage.

  • Savage, William George, Sir, 1872-
Date:
1914
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The bacteriological examination of food and water / by William G. Savage. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    III. Bacterial food infections and food poisoning. Attacks of food poisoning due to bacteria vary greatly in severity and in extent, ranging from mild attacks limited to a few individuals to extensive outbreaks involving a large pro- portion of the consumers of the infected food and causing amongst those affected severe symptoms and some deaths. The food eaten is generally meat in some form but not invariably so, and there are many outbreaks on record following the consump- tion of ice-cream, potatoes, milk, etc. The meat has frequently been eaten in the form of pies, brawn, sausages, tinned foods, or other made up meat food1. The bacteria concerned in these outbreaks may be con- veniently classed into three groups : (1) Putrefactive and intestinal bacteria such as B. proteus, B. coli. (2) B. botulimis. (3) Organisms of the Gaertner group. The respective parts played by these three groups in food poisoning must be briefly considered. Pntrej'active and intestinal bacilli. At one time most cases of food poisoning were ascribed to the chemical activities of putrefactive and intestinal bacilli, particularly one or other of the organisms described as Proteus vulgaris, Proteus mirabilis, etc. This conception was largely based upon a series of interesting investigations upon the chemical products of putrefaction. It was ascertained that when meat was allowed to putrefy certain basic bodies (called ptomaines by Selmi), which closely resemble the vegetable alkaloids, could be isolated, and that these bodies were possessed of highly poisonous properties as shown by their injection into laboratory animals. The symptoms produced were in some ways similar to those met with in cases of food 1 For a detailed consideration of the etiology, epidemiology and pathology of Food Poisoning see Report to the Local Government Board on Bacterial Food Poisoning and Food Infections by W. G. Savage, 1913. New Series, no. 77. S. W. 9