Abstract
ALTHOUGH in by far the larger number of cases the distribution of cholera has been traced to the use of impure water, yet there are a few authentic instances on record of its dissemination by means of various articles of diet, such as milk, fruit, salad, whilst Kossel and Steyerthal quite recently report two cases (Deutsche med. Wochenschrift, 1892) in which its communication was traced to bread and butter. It becomes, therefore, not only of interest but importance, to ascertain what is the vitality of the cholera organism when purposely brought in contact either superficially or incorporated with various articles of food. Researches in this direction have been undertaken from time to time by various investigators, Babes, Celli and others, whilst Dunham's experiments published in the Medical Record for 1892 are amongst the most recent and exhaustive on this subject. This author found that cholera organisms purposely introduced on to salad leaves and placed in a covered dish and kept at the ordinary temperature of a room, retained their vitality for five days, on cooked cauliflowers for from six to ten days, and on the same vegetable uncooked for thirteen days. On a sliced strawberry they did not survive more than twenty-four hours.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
FRANKLAND, G. Cholera and Articles of Diet. Nature 48, 375 (1893). https://doi.org/10.1038/048375a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/048375a0