Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T09:16:19.343Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Chemical Constitution of the Tubercle Bacillus

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

William Bulloch  and
J. J. R. Macleod
William Bulloch
Affiliation:
Bacteriologist to the London Hospital
J. J. R. Macleod
Affiliation:
Professor of Physiology, Western Reserve University, Cleveland, U.S.A
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

1. Dried tubercle bacilli extracted with hot solutions of spirit, alcohol, alcohol-ether, Aronson's mixture, yield large percentages of fatty substances.

2. On filtering the boiling extracts a white acid-fast precipitate deposits on cooling.

3. The filtrates on evaporation can be saponified by soda, and on subsequent agitation with ether and water two extracts can be obtained —an ethereal and a watery extract.

4. The ethereal extract contains fat which is not acid-fast.

5. By saponifying the dried ethereal extract with alcoholic potash and decomposing the resulting soaps with sulphuric acid a mixture of fatty acids is obtained containing probably oleic, isocetinic and myristinic acids. None of these are acid-fast.

6. The watery extract (soap) on decomposition yielded a fatty acid with a melting point corresponding to lauric acid.

7. The filtrates also yield lipochromes to which the cultures of tubercle bacillus owe their colour.

8. The white acid-fast precipitate obtained by the original extraction can be saponified, but with great difficulty.

9. By prolonged boiling with alcoholic potash the acid-fast precipitate is decomposed and results in the deposition of an acid-fast snow-white flaky powder, and a non-acid-fast filtrate of fatty acids.

10. The chemical examination of the white flaky powder shows it to be an alcohol.

11. Acid- and alcohol-fastness of the tubercle bacillus is due to the presence of an alcohol.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 4 , Issue 1 , January 1904 , pp. 1 - 10
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1904

References

Literature

1.Ehrlich, . Verein fur innere Medicin zu Berlin, Sitzung vom 1. Mai 1882. Deutsche med. Wochenschrift, 1882, p. 269.Google Scholar
2.Ziehl, . Die Farbung des Tuberkelbacillus. Deutsche med. Wochenschrift, 1882, p. 451.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Neelsen, . Quoted by Johne, Ein zweifelloser Fall von congenitaler Tuberculose. Fortschritte d. Medicin, 1885, III., p. 198.Google Scholar
4.Hammerschlag, . Bakteriologisch-chemische Untersuchungen über Tuberkelbaoillen. Centralhl. f. klin. Med., XII.Google Scholar
5.De, Schweinitz and Dorset. Further notes upon the fats contained in the tuberculosis bacilli. Centralhl. f. Bakteriologie, Abt. I. 1896, XIX., p. 707.Google Scholar
6.Klebs, . Ueber heilende und immunisierende Substanzen aus Tuberkelbacillen-Kulturen. Centralhl. f. Bakteriologie, Abt. I. 1896, xx., p. 488.Google Scholar
7.Ruppel, . Zur Chemie der Tuberkelbaoillen. Zeitschrift f. physiolog. Chemie, 1898, xxvi., p. 218.Google Scholar
8.Ruppel, . Die Proteine. Beitrage z. exp. Therapie, 1900, Heft 4, p. 87.Google Scholar
9.Aronson, . Zur Biologie der Tuberkelbaoillen. Berliner klin. Wochenschrift, 1899, p. 484.Google Scholar
10.De, Giaxa. Sulla sostanza ad azione locale del bacillo della tuberculosi. Annali d' Igiene sperimentale, 1900, x., p. 191.Google Scholar
11.Levene, . Biochemical Studies on the Bacillus Tuberculosis. Journal of Medical Research, 1901, VI., No. 1, p. 135.Google Scholar
12.Kresling, . Ueber die Fettsubstanz der Tuberkelbaoillen. Centralhl. f Bakteriologie, Abt. I. 1901, xxx., p. 897.Google Scholar