Studies on Epidemic Influenza: Comprising Clinical and Laboratory InvestigationsUniversity of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine
History
Studies on Epidemic Influenza: Comprising Clinical and Laboratory Investigations
University of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine
Influenza; Influenza Epidemic, 1918-1919
The discovery of the hemophilic character of B. influenzæ has been
confirmed by a long list of investigators. The agar smeared with pigeon
blood as used by Pfeiffer has not, however, been found fully
satisfactory and many modifications have been made. The fact that
hemoglobin in some form is necessary for the growth of these bacteria
has led to a great deal of study in attempts to discover the chemical
part, or parts, essential for this purpose. Hemoglobin in very small
amount, as shown by Davis and others, is sufficient to make media
suitable for growing B. influenzæ. This fact has led to much confusion,
owing to the difficulty of eliminating all possible sources from which
some form of hemoglobin might enter the media. Kitasato used a glycerin
agar and succeeded in growing the influenza bacillus for 10 transfers.
Pielicke, however, did not consider that Kitasato was actually dealing
with the influenza bacillus, but that he as well as Babes, Bruschettini
and Markel had most probably streptococci in their cultures. Besson held
the same view of Kitasato’s organism. It would further appear from the
illustrations of Klein that he also grew streptococci and not the B.
influenzæ. The first culture of the influenza bacillus was probably
obtained by Bujiwid in February, 1890. He grew on agar smeared with the
spleen pulp of an influenzal patient a tiny bacillus which he was unable
to grow on blood free medium, but he did not appreciate its importance
until Pfeiffer’s article appeared. Teissier in his book on “L’ Influenza
en Russie” mentioned this culture.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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