THE EFFECT OF BACTERICIDAL IRRADIATION ON THE VIRULENCE OF MICROORGANISMS,

The reaction of mice to the administration of irradiated and nonirradiated cultures was compared and the intracutaneous administration of a physiological solution served as the control. The data received in these experiments are also evidence of the weakening of the virulence of irradiated cultures. Cultures irradiated for 4 hours cause a much less pronounced reaction than non-irradiated cultures. In irradiation lasting for 4 hours, the number of grown colonies amounted to 38.1 and in irradiation for 12 hour - 54.0 if the number of colonies in the seed of a non-irradiated culture is assumed at 100. Thus, the vital activity of radiated cultures drops sharply. Author