EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 



263 



were watclied daily and if not contaminated they were allowed to re- 

 main in tli6 incubator for about fifteen days. Any plates or tubes show- 

 ing abundant growth of any kind were taken out and examined. These, 

 however, were few in number. Guinea pig inoculations were made 

 from all samples obtained, the swabs being rinsed off in physiological 

 salt solution. The pus and macerated tissues w^ere diluted with salt 

 solution to obtain a suitable suspension. At least two pigs were 

 injected with the same material, one receiving 1 c. c. and the other 

 2 or 4 c. c. depending upon the nature of the inoculum. After thirty to 

 thirty'-six days the guinea pigs were killed and a careful autopsy made 

 of each animal. Pieces of tissues were cut out of the spleen, liver, 

 kidneys and testicles of each pig and placed on agar slants. Plates 

 were also inoculated by making streaks across the surface with small 

 pieces of tissue or a platinum wire. A blood sample was taken from 

 each guinea pig and later tested with the complement fixation and 

 agglutination test for Bad. ahortus antibodies. 



'&&^ 



The following table shows the results obtained : 



TABLE I.— SHOWING FINDINGS BY DIRECT CULTURE METHOD AND ANIMAL 



INOCULATION. 



(1) Note — 50 guinea pigs were inoculated with mateiial from swabs, pus, and macerated tissues. 

 Blood samples were taken from each animal at the time of autopsy and tested for Bad. abortus anti- 

 bodies by the complement fixation and agglutination tests. The amounts of serum used in the com- 

 plement fixation te^ts were .04; .02; .01; .005 c.c. In the agglutination test the following dilutions 

 of serum were used: 1-50, 1-100, 1-200, 1-400. All tests were negative indicating complete absence 

 of abortion bacilli. 



DISCUSSION. 



As our main object was to see if the Bad. ahortus could be found in 

 these organs, no effort was made to determine the microbial flora of the 

 genital tract. Work along these lines has been conducted under the 

 direction of Dr. Ward Giltner and a report of the results obtained was 

 made by Keck in 1917 (5). During the years of 1918 and 1919 Giltner 



