122 EVANS : BACILLUS ABORTUS IN MARKET MILK 



cunninghamiana, and yet are not altogether in agreement with amethys- 

 tina. The pinnae are said to attain q, length of 80 cm. and a width 

 of 7 cm. The length of the pistillodes is given as 3-4 mm., and the 

 filaments 2-3 mm.; whereas in amethystina the filaments are about 4 

 mm. long and the pistillodes only 2-3 mm. The length of the inflo- 

 rescence is given as about 60 cm., with the ultimate divisions 30 cm. 

 long; while the inflorescences of amethystina are over a meter long, with 

 the flowering branches 60 cm. long. Wendland states that there are 18 

 stamens in cunninghamiana and Hooker's plate shows 18. The flowers 

 of amethystina collected at San Diego usually had less than 15; over 

 twenty flowers were examined without finding more than 16 stamens. 

 In view of these differences it has seemed desirable to recognize 

 the California palm as a distinct species, instead of attempting to base 

 the new genus on a species whose characters are so largely in doubt. 



BACTERIOLOGY. — Bacillus abortus in market milk. Alice C. 

 Evans, Dairy Division, Bureau of Animal Industry. Com- 

 municated by L. A. Rogers. 



An organism of considerable interest which occurs commonly 

 in. milk is that which causes contagious abortion in cattle. In 

 1911 Schroeder and Cotton^ reported this organism to be com- 

 mon in milk. They demonstrated its presence by the inoculation 

 of guinea pigs. Whenever Bacillus abortus was present in the 

 milk there was a slow development of lesions which resembled 

 those of tuberculosis. This organism has been shown to be 

 pathogenic for all kinds of laboratory and domestic animals. 

 Whatever may be its effect on human health is unknown; but in 

 view of its pathogenicity for animals it will naturally be re- 

 garded with some suspicion in its relation to human health until 

 its nonpathogenicity has been demonstrated. Interest in this 

 direction has been stimulated by the work of Larson and Sedg- 

 wick,' who reported a large percentage of positive results in a 



^ Schroeder, E. C, and Cotton, W. E. The bacillus of infectious abortion 

 found in milk. U. S. Dept. of Agric. Bur. of Animal Industry, 28th Annual 

 Rpt. 1911. 



2 Larson, W. P., and Sedgwick, J. P. Complement deviation reaction in the 

 blood of children using the Bacillus abortus as an antigen. Rpt. of the Annual 

 Meeting of the American Association of Medical Milk Commissions. 1913. 



