The Production by Staphylococci of a Substance Causing Food Poisoning

A recent outbreak of food poisoning in Chicago was traced by Dack1to the eating of a Christmas cake. Samples of the incriminated food were brought to the bacteriology laboratory of the University of Chicago and subjected to bacterial examination. A yellow staphylococcus present in considerable abundance in the cake substance was among the organisms isolated and studied. This staphylococcus apparently produced a toxic substance in broth, as shown by the effect of the sterile filtrate, which when swallowed by a human volunteer gave rise to nausea, diarrhea and prostration of the same character as that observed in the original outbreak.1 One similar instance has been previously recorded: Barber2in the Philippines in 1914 reported several cases of milk poisoning due to a strain ofStaphylococcus albusoccurring in the udder of an apparently healthy cow. Fresh milk containing the staphylococcus did not apparently produce illness, but