1918] VETERINARY MEDICINE. 383 



Studies in forage poisoning'. — V, A preliminary report on an anaerobic 

 bacillus of etiologic significance, R. Graham, A. L. Brueckner, and R. L. 

 Pontius (Kentucky Sta. Bui. 207 {1911), pp. ^1-113, figs. 36; abs. in Jour. 

 Amer. Vet. Med. Assoc, 51 (1917), No. 6, pp. 748, 7^9; Amer. Jour. Vet. Med., 

 12 {1917), No. 10, p. 702).— In an introduction to this bulletin A. M. Peter, 

 acting director, briefly refers to the occurrence of forage poisoning in Ken- 

 tucky and the investigations of it which have been conducted by the Kentucky 

 Station. The present bulletin, which reports investigations carried on in con- 

 tinuation of studies which have extended over a number of years (E. S. R., 

 37, p. 689), deals with the isolation of a pathogenic anaerobic bacillus from 

 an oat hay and the efficacy of an antiserum, prepared against Bacillus botu- 

 linus, in protecting animals against a disease having the characteristics of 

 forage poisoning. 



In the first part of the bulletin the authors review the present status of in- 

 formation relating to botulism in man and discuss the analogy of botulism to 

 forage poisoning, the pathogenesis of B. botulinus, and its food requirements. 



The investigations reported have been summarized by the authors as fol- 

 lows : " An oat hay which had caused a sporadic outbreak of forage poisoning 

 retained its virulence in storage for approximately 22 months. The etiologic 

 factor in this forage proved to be water soluble and capable of causing symp- 

 toms of forage poisoning and death in horses after freely drinking the water 

 from the oat hay. 



" B. botulinus proved fatal to horses and mules, subsequently to ingestion 

 in wholesome feed, as well as by subcutaneous injection. The clinical symptoms 

 and anatomic alterations accompanying artificial B. botulinus infection in 

 horses and mules closely resembled the symptoms and gross anatomic lesions 

 recognized in natural outbreaks of forage poisoning in central Kentucky. 



" Chickens proved highly resistant to B. botulinus administered subcuta- 

 neously and by the mouth. The naturally voided excreta of fowls that had 

 been fed B. botulinus proved fatal to a mule after ingestion, involving the do- 

 mestic chicken as a possible agent in contaminating feedstuffs, should B. 

 botulinus be prevalent in nature. This observation confirms Van Ermengem's 

 original classification of B. botulinus as a toxic saprophyte and is in keeping 

 with our observations upon an oat hay which proved to be contaminated with 

 chicken feces. It has been previously reported in another paper [E. S. R., 34, 

 p. 681 ; 36, p. 580] that chicken excreta from the oat hay in question, dis- 

 guised in wholesome feed of a horse, caused symptoms of forage poisoning 

 and death. 



"Antitoxic goat, sheep, and cow sera, prepared against B. botulinus, proved 

 efficacious against lethal amounts of a homologous toxin. The antitoxic serum 

 afforded protection in horses when administered subcutaneously and intra- 

 venously, and in guinea pigs when administered intraperitoneally, against a 

 fatal amount of homologous toxin by the mouth. 



" B. botulinus can be cultivated in corn silage, alfalfa, and corn extracts, 

 made slightly alkaline. In similar forage decoctions, made slightly acid, as 

 well as in pork broth, B. botulinus can be propagated in association with 

 Fusarium sp., under aerobic conditions. 



"An anaerobic organism resembling B. botulinus, isolated from the cecum 

 of a horse fatally infected after drinking water in which the oat hay in ques- 

 tion had been immersed, proved fatal to horses, mules, and guinea pigs, ad- 

 ministered by the mouth. The clinical symptoms and anatomic changes in 

 horses experimentally infected with this organism proved to be indistinguish- 

 able from symptoms and gross lesions observed in horses as a result of feed- 



