198 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



696-701, August, 1917, was found in the last three cases which were examined. 

 Another organism was isolated from all four cases which resembled the for- 

 mer very closely both morphologically and culturally. The latter was slight- 

 ly longer, grew better in subcultures and its colonies were not viscid when 

 touched with the platinum loop. The colonies of both organisms were so 

 much alike in appearance after 24 to 48 hours cultivation that this may ac- 

 count for the failure to find one of themin the first case examined. Another 

 reason for this may be that from the first case only one-half of one of the 

 kidneys was brought in for bacteriological examination. These two 

 organisms were isolated from the kidneys, liver, spleen, blood, perito- 

 neal fluid, and, in the case of the one colt living eight days, from one 

 carpal and the hip joints. The blood of the dams of these colts was plated 

 out and from two of them organisms were obtained which resembled the 

 two bacteria mentioned above. Antigens were made of these two organisms 

 and the blood sera of all the four mares were tested by the agglutination test. 

 No successful agglutination was obtained with the antigen obtained from the 

 former organism owing to its tendency to form a pseudo-agglutination. This 

 was due to the tendency of this organism to form tenacious threads. With 

 the second organism agglutination was obtained in dilutions of 1:50 and 

 1 :100 with the sera of three mares. 



Both organisms were tried for pathogenicity on guinea pigs and proved 

 fatal in less than 16 hours. The organisms were recovered from the blood 

 and peritoneal fluid. Post mortem changes were observed in the guinea 

 pigs similar to those described by Mr. Huddleson. The pathogenicity de- 

 creased very rapidly upon artificial cultivation. 



III. An acute septicemic disease of foxes was studied bacteriologically. 

 A small micrococcus was isolated which proved fatal for guinea pigs. This 

 organism together with tAvo other cocci isolated from the same carcass were 

 sent to a fox farm for animal inoculation. One of the inoculated animals 

 died in four days with symptoms similar to those of the disease in question, 

 but through some error in the records, it is not known which organism was 

 injected into this fox. Lack of experimental animals terminated this work. 



Since October, 1921, 11 trips have been made to various parts of the State 

 for the purpose of helping poultry breeders in combating contagious diseases. 



Professor Fabian has been able to devote only a small portion of his time 

 and energy to research. Co-operating with a former student, Mr. R. H. 

 Cromley, of Detroit, he has made a study of the influence of manufacturing 

 operations upon the bacterial content of ice cream. 



He has also had charge of water analysis in the absence of Professor Mall- 

 mann during the summer and they have collaborated in the following inves- 

 tigation : 



