Attempts have been made in the studies on poliomyelitis conducted in this laboratory in recent years, to recover virus from autopsies, from patients, and from contacts. I n the earlier work efforts were concentrated on isolation of virus from cord and medulla of human autopsies and cerebrospinal fluid and nasal washings of patients. During the last 2 years other tissues, colon contents, and urine of autopsies and stools of patients and contacts also have been studied. The present report summarizes this work from the time of its beginning in July, 1934, to the close of last season, December, 1940.
Materials and MethodsTissue.--The tissues listed in Table I were collected from autopsies under aseptic conditions and preserved in sterile 50 per cent glycerol, with buffered saline at 4°C. They were prepared for injection by grinding in a sterile mortar, then adding buffered saline to make a 10 per cent suspension. The suspension was centrifuged and 1 cc. of the supernatant fluid was injected intracerebrally and 3 cc. intraperitoneally, usually into Macacus mulatta. In a few instances M. irus was used, and appeared to be just as susceptible as M. raulatta.Cerebrospinal Fluid.--Several methods were employed in inoculating spinal fluids.Individual fluids were injected into monkeys either by the intracerebral or intrathecat route, while a simultaneous intraperitoneal inoculation was made with fluids that were in excess. In certain instances the fluids were pooled before injection. Swiss mice also were injected with the same fluids in an attempt to recover other neurotropic viruses.Nasal Washings.--Nasal washings were treated in the following several ways before injection: 1. Treated with 0.5 per cent phenol to destroy the bacteria, following either centrifugation or vacuum distillation.2. Filtered through Berkefeld V filters. 3. Placed in 50 per cent glycerol with saline an d kept in the ice box at 4°C. for 3 days.
The infectivity of poliomyelitis virus by the intracutaneous route occurs in certain strains but is not a constant character. The inconsistency of skin infectivity tests indicates that there is some property yet unknown which influences this characteristic.
Strains of poliomyelitis virus vary in the degree of immunity produced in experimental monkeys injected with active virus by the intracutaneous route and subsequently tested for resistance by intranasal injections. The variation has no relation to the virulence of the strain. Further investigation on the intranasal route of injection should be carried on so that this method may be used with greater assurance in immunity tests, and also in other procedures of poliomyelitis experimentation.
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