244 Journal of Agricultural Research voi. xvii, No. s 



suspected which had prompted the application of fomentations and 

 counterirritants. When the condition failed to respond toJ:his treatment 

 and an area of softening that appeared to involve the left testicle was later 

 detected, a canula had been introduced through which had been evacuated 

 a considerable quantity of a semifluid material. It was furthermore 

 stated that the animal had at times discharged through the urethra a 

 substance bearing some resemblance to that removed by the surgical 

 procedure. 



On April 22, 191 9, about three months after the swelling was first 

 observed, a sample of blood was secured for the application of the aggluti- 

 nation test for abortion disease. The specimen caused clumping of a 

 Bad. abortus suspension with o.oooi cc. of the serum. 



When the animal was examined on the following day with the object 

 of obtaining material for bacteriological work, the enlargement involving 

 the left testicle was found to be four or five times the size of the normal 

 organ. When a needle was passed into its lateral wall, little resistance 

 was encountered after the instrument had been inserted for about i}4 

 inches. Through the needle were aspirated from 400 to 500 cc. of a gray- 

 colored substance of the consistence of heavy cream. At the same time 

 from 20 to 30 cc. of a turbid fluid were obtained from the urethral opening. 

 This material was secured by exerting pressure on the urethra and by 

 massaging the seminal vesicles through the walls of the rectum. During 

 this procedure it was detected that the seminal vesicles differed markedly 

 in size, enlargement of the right organ being pronounced. 



CuivTURAiv RESULTS. — Eight tubes of serum agar were inoculated with 

 the semifluid substance aspirated from the interior of the enlargement in- 

 volving the diseased testicle. Numerous dilutions were made of the fluid 

 recovered from the urethra with physiological salt solution, and serum- 

 agar tubes were sown with these dilutions. When the tubes were exam- 

 ined after six days' incubation one colony of abortuslik^ appearance was 

 observed on one of the tubes from the substance obtained by aspiration. 

 The infection was later established as Bact. abortus. Further inoculations 

 of medium with like material resulted in the isolation of additional 

 abortus colonies, although fewer in number than were anticipated from 

 the extenj: of the lesions. No Bact. abortus was isolated by cultural 

 methods from the material secured from the urethra, but excessive 

 contamination made these results inconclusive. 



On May 9, or about two weeks after the condition was diagnosed as 

 abortus infection, an opportunity was afforded for the making of a more 

 thorough examination of the diseased process involving the external 

 genitals and for further bacteriological work, for the affected testicle with 

 its coverings were at this time removed and forwarded to the Patholog- 

 ical Division. 



