Causation of B. Welchii Infection in Dogs with Sterile Liver Extract and Bile Salts.

In a recent paper Rewbridge 1 reported that the intraperitoneal injection of sterile bile or pure bile salts brought about prompt invasion of the peritoneum by B. welchii. Andrews 2 also showed that autolysis of sterile liver in the peritoneum also provoked a severe B. welchii infection. In view of the above and of the work of Dragstedt 3 on the rich flora of the normal liver as well as that of Arnold 4 on the absorption of bacteria into the lymph stream under physiological conditions, our studies were continued and may be summed up as follows. Thirty-nine dogs were used in the series of experiments, 3 dogs in each of the groups.

Experiments were done in which the bile of dogs was led in tubes into the depths of the pelvis and also into the chest cavity. The results were similar. Severe B. welchii infections took place within 24 hours in most cases. These experiments showed that the proximity of the intestinal tract or the liver (known foci with rich flora) was not necessary to provoke these infections.

Next, concentrated solutions of liver extract prepared as mentioned in a previous paper 2 and 10% solutions of bile salts were injected into normal dogs into the pelvic peritoneum and also into the chest. In each case these sterile injections caused violent anaerobic infections and death in the course of 12 to 20 hours, indicating as in the above experiments that the infection probably took place locally and not by invasion of bacteria from distant sources.