344 W. A. HAGAN 



practicable but for some reason the practice of submitting putres- 

 cible animal tissues for examination has become a habit. A 

 small piece of cotton string soaked in blood or spleen juice, 

 placed in a clean dry bottle and shipped to a laboratory would 

 furnish excellent material for the bacteriologist. The string 

 would slowly dry out allowing any anthrax bacteria which might 

 be present to sporulate. The dry string would then remain in 

 satisfactory condition for bacteriological examination for months. 

 This method is not used, however, and even if used, in a small 

 number of cases putrefaction would have to be dealt with because 

 of the material having been taken from the body of the animal 

 after putrefaction had begun. 



My experience with the problem has been in a diagnostic 

 laboratory where animal tissues are received from various parts 

 of the state of New York for examination. Many of the regions 

 are somewhat isolated from the laboratory so far as rapid carrier 

 service is concerned and in a considerable number of cases the 

 material is not properly packed. As a consequence, we have 

 considerable tissue to handle which has partially putrefied. 



Tissues received for examination for anthrax consist mostly 

 of blood, pieces of spleen, and ears. Of these, ears are received 

 most often and are, on the whole, the most satisfactory tissue 

 received. To procure an ear it is not necessary to open the 

 carcass, thus spreading infection on the premises by liberating 

 anthrax organisms if they are present, and since the ear contains 

 so little soft tissue it will resist putrefaction much longer than 

 other parts. If the weather is not too hot and the journey is 

 not over twenty-four to forty-eight hours long, ears usually arrive 

 in a satisfactory condition without ice. Many are received, 

 however, which have been in transit for several days up to a 

 week and these are always more or less putrefied. Blood samples, 

 pieces of spleen and other organs almost invariably arrive in 

 bad condition, if sent without ice (and this is frequent) and in 

 not a few cases, even when well iced, because of having been 

 delayed in transit. 



Accompanying the specimen or frequently in advance of the 

 arrival of the specimen, a telegram or letter is received requesting 



