BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 141 



porting this work was published in the Journal of the American Vet- 

 erinary Medical Association (vol. 10, n. s., p. 692). 



Considerable poultry material was received for examination and 

 diagnosis. Correspondence regarding poultry disease continued 

 heavy. 



PATHOLOGICAL SPECIMENS. 



As usual a large number of pathological specimens were received 

 for diagnosis. Among those of special interest were five different 

 specimens of skin and subcutaneous tissues of swine showing lesions 

 characteristic of urticaria or so-called " diamond skin disease." One' 

 of the specimens showed more or less necrosis and sloughing of the 

 skin, simulating in appearance the inflammatory phenomena of the 

 skin resulting from freezing. From each of the specimens pure cul- 

 tures of a small, slender organism, which proved to be similar in 

 all cases, were obtained. The different strains of the organism were 

 proved to be identical in their various biological characteristics with 

 Bacillus erysi'pelas mtis, the organism which causes erysipelas of 

 swine in Europe. While it was not found possible to produce swine 

 erysipelas with the organisms isolated from the subcutaneous lesions, 

 this does not appear to be unusual, since European investigators have 

 experienced difficulty in transmitting eiysipelas to healthy swine. 



AUTOPSIES ON WILD ANIMALS. 



During the year 80 animals were received from the National Zoo- 

 logical Park for post-mortem examination. Of the 48 birds exam- 

 ined, 7 were affected with tuberculosis, 3 with anemia, 13 with en- 

 teritis, 3 with gastritis (impaction of the proventriculus), 1 with 

 pyemia, 5 with septicemia (3 colon type, 2 staphyloccus), 1 with peri- 

 carditis, 1 with necrosis of the ceca, 2 with severe injuries, and 11 with 

 undetermined affections. Of 31 mammals, 5 were affected with tuber- 

 culosis, 2 with pyemia, 10 with gastroenteritis, 1 with enteritis, 4 with 

 pneumonia, 2 with colitis, 1 with cachexia, 1 with peritonitis, 1 with 

 metritis, 1 with hepatitis and nephritis, 1 with disseminated tumors in 

 lungs, and 2 with splenic tumor. The 1 specimen of reptile (boa con- 

 strictor) was affected with enteritis and parasitism of the lungs and 

 intestines. 



PLANT-POISONING OF STOCK. 



Most of the field investigative work relative to poisonous plants 

 has been conducted at the experiment station near Salina, Utah. 

 Special attention has been given to the microscopic pathology of the 

 animals affected by poisonous plants. The chemical and pharmaco- 

 loirical examinations have also been conducted on a somewhat more 

 extended scale. 



A large number of plants have been under investigation, and what 

 are considered final results regarding some of them have been ob- 

 tained. The field work on the western sneezeweed {Helen lum hoopesii) 

 is nearly completed and a report on it has been prepared. The sup- 

 posed poisoning of sheep by feeding on screenings of the seeds of 

 sweet clover (Melilotus) ^ the screenings consisting largely of imma- 

 ture seeds, led to experiments which proved the harmless character 



