610 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Streptothrices as the cause of endocarditis in cattle, J. Lugingeb (Monatsh. 

 Prakl. Tierh., 15 (1904), No. 7-8, pp. 289-336).— The literature relating to the bacte- 

 riology of endocarditis in animals and man is critically reviewed in connection with 

 a brief bibliography. Detailed clinical notes are given on the course of endocarditis 

 as observed in 2 cattle and the results of culture experiments with the organism as 

 obtained are outlined. 



Inoculation tests were made with this organism in white mice, guinea pigs, rabbits, 

 dogs, and goats. As a result of the author's experiments it is concluded that valvu- 

 lar endocarditis may occasionally be observed in cattle and is due to a streptothrix 

 which is carried in the blood. The organism differs in its morphology and behavior 

 on culture media from the tubercle bacillus. It is referred to under the name Strep- 

 tothrix valv&las destruens boris. This organism is motile, is readily stained according 

 to the Gram method, forms chains with true branching, and grows as a facultative 

 aerobe or anaerobe. The pathogenicity of the organism was demonstrated by inoc- 

 ulation experiments. 



Mycotic stomatitis of cattle, J. R. Mohler ( U. 8. Dept. Agr., Bureau of Animal 

 Industry Circ. 51, pp. 6, Jig. 1). — On account of the quite regular occurrence of this 

 disease in various parts of the United States, and especially since it is sometimes mis- 

 taken for foot-and-mouth disease, a detailed description is given of the symptoms, 

 pathological lesions, and approved treatment. 



Mycotic stomatitis is noninfectious and attacks cattle of all ages while on pasture. 

 The disease is due to eating forage affected with molds or parasitic fungi. Rusts and 

 smuts of various sorts as well as other fungi have been suspected of causing the 

 disease. The first symptoms are loss of appetite and inflammation of the mucous 

 membrane of the mouth. In severe cases ulcers of considerable size may be formed 

 especially on the gums around the incisor teeth. 



Mycotic stomatitis may be distinguished from foot-and-mouth disease by the fact 

 that it is noncontagious, while the latter rapidly spreads through the entire herd 

 and affects hogs and sheep as well. The disease may be differentiated from ergot- 

 ism by the fact that in the latter disease there are no ulcers in the mouth and by the 

 peculiar lesions on the ears, tip of the tail, and legs in poisoning from ergotism. 



In treating mycotic stomatitis the author recommends that affected animals be 

 brought in from the pasture and given plenty of clean water in which a small quan- 

 tity of borax is dissolved. The mouths may be washed out with a 2 per cent solu- 

 tion of carbolic acid or creolin, a 1 per cent solution of lysol or permanganate of pot- 

 ash, or a solution of hydrogen peroxid at the rate of 1 part to 2 of water. As an 

 alternative method the author suggests mixing 2 tablespoons carbolic acid in a quart 

 of bran mash and giving these daily to each affected animal for a period of 5 days. 



Enzootic anthrax in horses and its control by the method of Sobernheim, 

 A. Jaeger (Monatsh. Prakl. Tierh., 15 (1904), No. 11, pp. 512-528).— -The enzootic 

 occurrence of anthrax in horses is quite frequently observed under conditions which 

 indicate the food as a source of infection. In a number of such outbreaks the author 

 tested the value of Sobernheim's method in treating the disease. 



These experiments demonstrated that the therapeutic action of the serum depends 

 almost entirely upon the method of inoculation. Subcutaneous inoculation even in 

 large doses merely served to check the progress of the disease for a few days, but did 

 not protect the animal against a fatal outcome. Intravenous injection of serum, 

 however, was almost always sufficient to save the life of even badly affected animals 

 and this method is quite harmless. It was found that horses even in the acute 

 stages of the disease successfully withstood intravenous injections of 120 gm. of sheep 

 serum. 



An investigation of oats which served as food in one outbreak showed that the 

 oats in question were infected with the anthrax spores. Experiments were instituted 

 for the purpose of devising a practical means of destroying the anthrax spores in 



