MICROBIAL DISEASES OF MAN AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS 827 



The lesions produced by this bacterium indicate a general distribu- 

 tion through the body. 



The characteristic features as previously mentioned are the haemor- 

 rhages which are either subcutaneous, submucous or subserous. Lymph 

 glands are frequently infiltrated with extensive haemorrhages. 



Cases have been reported as showing high fever. Those studied by 

 the writer have, as a rule, showed slight disturbance of temperature 

 until near death. When voluntary muscles are involved the haemor- 

 rhages invade connective tissues rather than muscle tissue proper. 

 Haemorrhages of the pericardium and heart wall are especially common. 

 The rectal and vaginal mucous membranes are often intensely hyper- 

 aemic or haemorrhagic. Faeces, urine and nasal discharges are often 

 blood stained. 



Bact. bovisepticum resembles so closely the bacterium of chicken cholera, the bac- 

 terium of rabbit septicaemia, B act. suisepticus and other members of this group (Pas- 

 teurelloses) that laboratory differentiation from other members of the group is 

 exceedingly difficult. It is a very small bacterium with rounded ends, closely 

 resembling a diplococcus. It is from IM to 1.5^ long and from 0.3^ to 0.6^1 thick. 

 Involution forms sometimes appear. It shows bipolar stain, decolorizes by Gram's 

 method, produces no spores, has no flagella, and is non-motile. Short chains are 

 not uncommon. 



It grows best at body temperature and slowly at room temperature. It is 

 killed at 58 in eight to ten minutes. 



The disease resembles anthrax in some general characteristics but 

 is easily distinguished by microscopic examination of the blood and 

 failure to find the large anthrax bacterium and by the fact that the 

 blood from the general circulation is apparently normal in haemorrhagic 

 septicaemia. This disease also resembles symptomatic anthrax (black- 

 leg) but is easily distinguished in that external swellings are slight if 

 present at all and do not show gas, both of these features being charac- 

 teristic of blackleg. The bacillus of symptomatic anthrax may be 

 recognized by microscopic examination as so different from Bacterium 

 bovisepticum that there could be no mistaking one for the other. 



Little is known concerning elimination of this bacterium from the 

 diseased body and concerning methods of dissemination. Hence we 

 are very much in the dark when attempting to deal with the disease 

 produced by it. 



