A method for isolating and growing the lepra bacillus of man. (Preliminary note.)

Abstract For a number of year different investigators have attempted to cultivate the lepra bacillus of man and the allied organisms found in the rat and other animals. It is not intended in this preliminary note to discuss the numerous paper which have been published from time to time from the various English, Continental, and American laboratories. These papers deal with non acid-fast bacilli, or with acid-fast bacilli growing quickly on ordinary media, which in the opinion of the writer, are contaminating organisms, and not the true lepra bacillus. So far, no one has produced a culture of acid-fast bacilli isolated from a leper, and showing the characters of the lepra bacillus as found in the tissues of man. It was with the object of obtaining a pure living culture of the lepra bacillus that these investigations were undertaken. The material used was the nasal discharge and scrapings from a typical leper. The discharge showed large masses of lepra bacilli and a number of contaminating micro-organisms. Firstly, most of the contaminations were killed by placing the discharge in a 2-per cent. solution of ericolin at 38° C. for one hour as recommended for the isolation of the tubercle bacillus; then cultures were made from the sediment on to different media and incubated at 38° C.