1 128 HYGIENE OF LIVESTOCK 



make its way into the bacteria, combining with their cell-contents and after- 

 wards kilhng the organisms. Very important experiments in this connection 

 have been made up to the present at the agricultural experiment Station 

 of Vermont (United States) for prevention of epizootic abortion in cows. 

 Among 92 cows infected with the abortion bacillus, and to which the 

 methylene blue had been administered, no actual abortion occurred. 



The experiments carried out in America were repeated by the writers, 

 but they are not yet able to pronounce an opinion as to their accuracy, the 

 trials not j^et being completed. In the treatment of swine fever and infec- 

 tious enteritis, results have already been obtained which constitute an in- 

 ducement to continue experimentation with methylene blue on a more ex- 

 tensive scale. 



It was first of all observed that 4 pigs evidently iU with fever were 

 cured after a treatment with 0.75 to i gr. of methylene blue per day per 

 head. In 4 days an improvement was already observed, and within 3 weeks 

 all the animals were cured. A similar result was secured in other piggeries 

 containing a large number of animals. For the control of infectious enter- 

 itis comparatively small doses of methylene blue were used, administered 

 regularly for at least 10 to 14 days. To increase the effect of the internal 

 disinfection, the sties were disinfected every day after removal of the 

 droppings. 



To sum up, it may be said that the experiments carried out with methyl- 

 ene blue for the treatment of swine fever and infectious enteritis have shown 

 that cures msLy be obtained, above all when the disease is located in the diges- 

 tive organs. In cases of true infectious enteritis with serious pathological 

 changes of the lung, the effect of the remedy was less pronounced ; it seemed 

 if anj'thing to hasten the death of dying animals. When the critical 

 stage of the disease is passed the remedy must not be administered, because 

 its bitter taste tends to reduce the appetite of the animals. 



The attempt was also made to ascertain whether methylene blue ad- 

 ministered to pigs has a detrimental eff'ect on the fat and the meat. For this 

 purpose, 0.1 gr.of methylene blue per da}^ was administered to a pig of me- 

 dium weight from the nth December, 1915 to the 3rd January, 1916 (except 

 from the 21st to the 23rd December), which was then slaughtered. 



The post-mortem showed that neither the meat nor the fat were affect- 

 ed and that the symptoms occasioned by the methylene blue were loca- 

 lised in the stomach, where the glandless part particular!}' was coloured 

 blue. The mucous membrane of the caecum was also slightly blue in 

 oolour, but the small intestine in a few places only. 



The experiments will be continued by the writers with the support 

 of the Prussian Ministry of Agriculture, at the bacteriological Institute of 

 the Chamber of Agriculture of the Province of Saxony, at Plalle a. S. 



878 - Influence of Colour in Horses on the Cure of Mange. — mast^t?, iu Beriim-r Tier - 



drztliche Wocht-nschrift, y2n<\ Year, No. 25, j). 294. Berlin, June 22, iyj6. 



When treating numerous cases of mange, it was observed that the 

 colour of the horse has some influence on the cure of the disease. Cure was 

 completed most rapidlj' in black horses, where often no formation of crusts 



