Studien über diphtherienährböden und Diphtherietypen

The Types Mitis, Intermedius and Gravis of Corynebacterium Diphtheriae

“…It would be about as sensible to argue from the latter observation that there was no correlation between glucose fermentation and pathogenicity in the group of corynebacteria as it is to state as Morton does on the basis of the former that there is no correlation between colony form and starch fermentation in the group C. diphtheriae. Hohn 80, Schlirf (156) and Warnecke (185) all agree in showing that gravis strains produce most acid in starch solutions and that intermedius strains produce much less acid in glucose than either of the other types.…”

“…On the other hand, there are numerous areas in which the intermedius or the gravis form either is not present or is so scantily represented that it escapes observation. Such are: the Sudan (81), South Australia (146), Amsterdam and Rotterdam (165), Posen district of Poland (209), Huddersfield (119), and Helsingfors (120), which (151,202) No gravis (202) No gravis (129,151) (120) No information (100,127,147) All three strains found in all areas, but gravis markedly predominant in east and north-east and to a slight extent in other areas (8,20,22,62,64,68,75,76,78,90,122,132,141,144,155,170,185,190) Gravis predominant in Rotterdam, mitis in Amsterdam (165,177) No gravis detected (151) Gravis markedly predominant (35,40) All three types and atypical strains recorded (16,48,139, 152, 167, 184) Gravis predominant; intermedius absent except in Lem-berg (91, 161, 209, 215) Mitis predominant and gravis scanty in Moscow. Gravis predominant at Kharkov two years later (163,…”

“…Results in guinea-pigs and in a few instances in rabbits; subcutaneous and intracutaneous injection. A general impression of the relative pathogenicity of the different types may be taken from the combined results obtained in Australia, China, England, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia and the Ukraine (22,35,55,56,58,65,89,104,106,128,137,149,152,169,184,185,192,194,207,211). Atypical strains: 97 examined, 53.6 per cent found virulent.…”