40 HISTORICAL NOTES ON BEE DISEASES. 



that 2 per cent carbolic acid would not kill the spores of Bacillus alvei 

 in six hours, and concluded that carbolic acid in this strength could 

 not be relied upon as a hive disinfectant to destroy the spores of 

 this organism. 



Mackenzie says that if the shaking treatment is employed, the 

 question of the presence of Bacillus alvei in the workers, queen, and 

 eggs must be considered m the discussion of the value of such treat- 

 ment. He claims to have confirmed the results obtained by Cheshire 

 that the bacilli are sometimes found in the intestine of the worker 

 and the ovaries of the queen, but that the finding of the bacUlus in 

 the eggs of an infected queen needs confirmation. 



He reports an experiment from which he concluded that carbolic 

 acid (1-500), as used in medicated sirup in the treatment of foul 

 brood, does not kill the spores but prevents then' germination, and 

 thus gives the bees a chance to rid themselves of the infection. "Its 

 advantage," he writes, in comparing it with a shaking method, "is 

 that it can be carried on for a longer time." Concerning beta naph- 

 thol, he concludes that a 1-1,000 solution m bouillon possesses the 

 same value as- an antiseptic as a 1-500 solution of carbolic acid 

 and he believed that it would probably be more acceptable to the 

 bees. The use of salicylic acid was thought by him to be followed 

 by about the same results as carbolic acid and beta naphthol in the 

 medication of sirup. For the cleaning of hives and frames he recom- 

 mends a 10 per cent solution of soft soap or washing powder. 



The following points of mterest are found m Mackenzie's paper: 



1. He accepted the work of Cheshire and Cheyne as demonstrat- 

 ing conclusively that Bacillus alvei is the cause of foul brood, and 

 used in his laboratory experiments a bacillus which he identified as 

 this organism. 



2. At the time Mackenzie's paper was written his work on foul 

 brood had been carried on for only about a year, and he appreciated 

 the fact that his work was by no means complete. 



3. From the report of foundation manufacturers and from the 

 results of his own investigations, he was inclined to believe that 

 there is but little danger of infection from foundation made from 

 •wax taken from a foul-brood colony. 



4. He isolated Bacillus alvei from the ovaries of three of the five 

 queens examined, but believed that the findings of Cheshii-e "vvith 

 respect to the eggs need confirmation. 



5. He interpreted the finding of Bacillus alvei in the intestines of 

 workers and queen as a fact worthy of consideration in the shaking 

 treatment. 



6. He believed that drugs in the treatment of foul brood have a 

 value in preventing the germination of the spores. 



