The scientific investigations of the last decade have shown that paratyphoid has the same geographical prevalence as typhoid fever. Since Achard and Bensaude, in 1896, described the first two cases of this disease and called it infection paratyphoidique, several hundred cases have been recorded. Soon after Achard and Bensaude's discovery Widal and Nobecourt isolated an organism from a post-typhoid abscess which was identical with that described by the former observers. Acting on Gilbert's suggestion, they named it para-coli infection. Later Cushing, Hewlett, Coleman and Buxton, Longcope, Libman and Meltzer reported cases in America.
In Germany, Schottmüller and Curth were the first to recognize cases of paratyphoid fever. Schottmüller was the first to divide paratyphoid bacilli into two groups, based on cultural and agglutination differences. De Feyer and Kayser confirmed the observation of Schottmüller and divided paratyphoid bacilli into two groups, A and B.
During the last five years a great