572 EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCHES WITH CHICKEN-CHOLERA MICROBES 



A rabbit inoculated with a small quantity of heart-blood from this 



ferret, died during the night in consequence of some injuries 



accidentally received in its hutch, 

 (il) With Uood. 

 September 11th, 12.50 p,m. 



Two fresh ferrets (one male, one female) were inoculated each with 



five platinum-loops full (about l-50th ccm.) of heart-blood from a 



rabbit that had died of " chicken-cholera " (inoculation). 

 Control: — A control -rabbit was found dead at 7.30 a.m. on the 12th 



September. P.M., Positive. 

 Results : 



The seat of inoculation did not show any special reaction. The 



two ferrets appeared somewhat sluggish at first, but very soon 



afterwards behaved as before. 

 (h) Feeding, 

 (i) September 12th. 



Three fresh ferrets (one male, two females) were fed together upon 



30 grammes (about 1'07 oz.) of virulent liver taken from a rabbit 



newly dead of '* chicken-cholera " (inoculation). 

 Results : 



The ferrets did not appear to show any reaction whatever. 

 (ii) September 18th. 



Two fresh ferrets (one male, one female) were fed together upon 



45 grammes (about 1*6 oz.) of virulent liver from a rabbit newly 



dead of "chicken-cholera " (inoculation). 

 Results : 



The ferrets did not show any signs of illness. They remained alive, 



like the former. 



Effect of Desiccation. 



In accordance with a desire expressed by the Rabbit Commis- 

 sion at one of its meetings, I have carried out some experiments 

 with a view to testing the influence of desiccation on the microbes 

 of chicken- cholera. 



It should be mentioned here that, as more than one observer 

 tells us, the virus of chicken-cholera becomes innocuous by drying 

 up, and that this peculiarity in the life-history of those microbes 

 furnishes an easy and practical means of getting rid of them, 

 wherever they are deposited in poultry-yards. The bacteria of 



