No. 6. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 133 



Swine plague. Specimens of the internal organs of one hog were received. 

 A short non-motile polar staining bacillus was isolated, as found in swine 

 plague. 



AlisccUancous specimens. During the year specimens were received, for mi- 

 croscopic examination, including the following tumors: Fibroma, squamous 

 epithelioma, melanotic sarcoma, carcinoma, endothelioma. Among the miscella- 

 neous specimens were a number in which decomposition prevented an exami- 

 nation. Tissues were submitted from animals dead of forage poisoning (cerebro- 

 spinal meningiiis), lung worm (sheep), parasites and osteoporosis. 



Fowls. Sixteen chickens were received, 8 living and 8 dead, with the re- 

 quest that the cause of death or illness be determined. Of the 8 live chickens, 

 two were killed at the laboratory and at autopsy no abnormality was found. 

 The remaining six recovered and were returned to the owners. 



Pigeons. Nine pigeons were sent by H. J. Newburger, Freeland, Pa.; four 

 living and five dead. The cause of death was not determined, one of the four 

 live birds was killed at the laboratory, the remaining three were kept under 

 observation for months, showed no symptoms and were returned to the owner. 



Poisoning. Six specimens were received wath the request that a chemical 

 analysis be made. These were usually held until further advice was received in 

 answer Lo a communication to the effect that a chemical analysis was not made 

 in our laboratory. 



PathoJogii al histology. The work of fixing, mounting, cutting and staining 

 of the sections, taken from the specimens received and experimental animals 

 used in the diagnosis of rabies and tuberculosis and those used in the experi- 

 ments upon tuberculosis, has increased to twice that of the previous years. 

 Aside from the large number of cases of rabies examined, sections were taken 

 from one hundred and twenty-three animals, inclbding portions of 92 lymph 

 glands, 68 lungs, 56 livers, 39 tumors, 14 medulla oblongatae, 17 cerebelli, 17 

 hippocampi major, 5 muscles, 6 intestines and 45 miscellaneous sections." 



BACTERIAL DYSENTERY OF CATTLE. On a small farm in Eastern Penn- 

 sylvania a disease of cattle has been known to occur for several years with the 

 following characteristics: An occasional mature cow, and usually a young one, 

 will develop diarrhea from no visible cause and while subsisting on the same 

 food as that upon which the other cattle of the farm are thriving. The diarrhea 

 develops progressively. At first there is noticeable increased softness of the 

 faeces. In the course of a few weeks the faeces become quite soft and are voided 

 frequently. For a long time the appetite continues to be good but, notwith- 

 standing, the cow_declines gradually in condition; there is loss of flesh, harsh 

 coat and inelastic skin. Gradually, the appetite diminishes, and after a few 

 weeks or months the cow will eat very little. A change of food sometimes ap- 

 pears to give temporary relief, and this is especially noticeable when an affected 

 cow is placed on pasture in the spring; the animal may improve for a time and 

 may even appear to have recovered, but later in the season or the next winter 

 the diarrhea will return and the cow will die. Medicines given internally as 

 stringents, laxatives, tonics and antiseptics produce, at most, only a little, 

 temporary relief. The disease progresses steadily and the animal becomes thin- 

 ner; there is marked muscular weakness, and, finally, the cow dies while in a 

 state of extreme emaciation and exhaustion. 



The course of tlie disease, including the periods of partial recovery, may be as 

 long as two or three years, or as short as two months. 



In the case of the herd referred to, it was suspected that the cattle were 

 tuberculous. The tuberculin test was applied and not one cow reacted. At 

 different times a few of the advanced cases were killed. No lesions were found 

 that furnished a satisfactory explanation for the marked disturbance during 

 the life of the animal. The most that was detected was what appeared to be the 

 effects of chronic intestinal catarrh. 



After the publication of Bang's paper on "The Chronic Pseudotuberculous En- 

 teritis of Cattle," in October, 1906, it occurred to me that the baffling disease 

 that we have studied so unsatisfactorily might be the same as that described 

 by Bang. This view was strengthened by McFadyean's discussion of this dis- 

 ease in his .loiirnal in March, 1907. 



It was not, however, until December that it was possible to obtain a suitable 

 case for study. The cow was sent to the Veterinary Hospital of the University 

 of Pennsylvania. It M^as extrem.ely emaciated. The mucous membranes were 

 pale; the temperature was normal; the appetite was very poor; the faeces 

 were voided frequently, in small quantities, and they were of dark brow.in 

 color, of the. consistency of molasses. The cow died during the second week of 

 her stay at the hospital. The postmortem exami:oation revealed some thick- 

 ening and an unusual amount of corrugation of the mucous membrane of the 

 large intestine, including the rectum. Some small red points, streaks and 

 patches were seen, especially at tlie summits of the ridges of the mucous mem- 

 brane. Dr. Reichel was requested to stain scrapings of the intestinal mucous 

 membrane as for tubercle bacilli. He found quantities of acid-fast bacteria in 

 clumps and isolated. 



Anotlier similar case was reported by Dr. W. H. Ridge, Trevose, Pa. The 

 cow was a pure bred Jersey, 5 years old, raised on the farm. She was thin and 

 weak and had had diarrhea for nearly a year. She was killed for postmortem 



