lo Jan., 1910.] Etc Morta'litv in the Stait^dl District. 



59 



came to hand, those which were supposed to be suffering from the malad} 

 became sluggish in their movements without showing the trembling motion 

 of the organs generally associated with bee paralysis ; nor were there any 

 special features of a clinical nature to aid in diagno'sis. Eventually, by 

 the end of the sixth day, all of the affected bees were dead, while of tho 

 normal bees none had died, the only change noticeable amongst them was 

 that they were somewhat less active. 



Dissection. — Within a short time after arrival at the laboratory a 

 numljer of both normal and abnormal bees were dissected, and a careful 

 examination made of the intestinal tract, special attention being given to 

 the lower portion of the bowel which, according to some recent investiga- 

 tion carried out in the years 1907 and 1909, Mr. Imms* concluded that 

 the mortality amongst the bees in the Isle of Wight was brought about by 

 an obstruction or distension of the colon, caused In certain forms of food 

 in the shape of pollen grain and particles of a wax-like nature forming 

 hard compact masses in that region. Some of the bees on dissection 

 certainly did present a similar aspect as regards the distension of the lower 

 bowel ; but as exactly the same conditions were met with in both the normal 

 and abnormal bees, this cannot be regarded as a factor tending to elucidate 

 the disease under investigation. 



Portions of the semi-fluid yellowish material taken from the colon of 

 the normal bees, on being submitted to a microscopical examination, were 

 found to be composed of several different forms <]' 

 pollen, whilst the pollen present in the colon of the un 

 healthy was principally that collected from flowers 

 belonging to the natural order, Compositae, together with 

 a few particles of a waxy material. Xo micro-organi.sns 

 of a special character were detected in this preliminar , 

 microscopical examination of the bowel contents of either 

 the unhealthy or healthy bees. 



Bacterial Examination. — Smear preparations wer,' 

 next made from the blood and juices of the bees obtained 

 (a) by removing a leg; (b) by opening the dorsal wall of 

 the thorax. The specimens were then stained in the usual 

 way by carbol-fuchsin and others by Loeffler's methylene 

 blue. Although a few rod shaped organisms were noticed, 

 their limited numbers did not appear to point to a 

 bacterial infection. 



Bacteriological examination of that portion of the 

 digestive system of rhe bee called the chyle stomach was 

 next undertaken, especially as Dr. Maldenf who continued 

 the investigation into< the bee di.sease in the Isle of Wight 

 in the year 1909, isolated an organism capable of being 

 distinguished from the other organisms present in the 

 stomach contents. This bacillus " appears as a short 

 round ended, thick organism with darkly staining ends 

 and lightly staining central bands (]>nlar staining) and digestive canal 

 closely resembles Bacillus pestis m general appearance." of a bee. 

 He proposed calling it Bacillus pestiformis apis " and as 1, .Ksophayus; 2, Honey 

 these bacilli take up the stain more deeply than most of Stomach • 4,' Mai^g^ 

 the other organisms met with in the smears, the labour hian tubes; 5, suiaii 



„ , . °, . ... ....,,,, intestine; (i, Colon; 



01 detecting them is materially diminished. 7. Rectum ; s, Anus. 



* On a disease of bees in tlie Isle of Wiyht. .Journ. Board of A^rio., Enj,'., June, 1907 ; Feb., 1909. 

 t British Bee Jourrud, March 18. page 101. 



