histohioal notes on bke diseases. 91 



IVIaassen, Marcu, 1910. 



Another paper * by Maassen appeared in 1910. 



At tliis time the ctintent of the intestinal tract of bees taken from 

 colonies affected with different brood diseases was made the subject 

 of study. 



Wlien bees were examined that were taken from colonies suffer- 

 ing from "sour brood," ]\laassen reports the presence of Streptococcus 

 apis. Tliis species thrives well, lie says, in the intestine, and its 

 power to grow upon artificial media is not lost (p. 84). Likewise, he 

 reports that the spores of Bacillus alvei will develop and the organism 

 grow in tlie intestine of adult bees. Confined bees, it is stated, 

 showed the ])resence of these two species for weeks in the intestine. 



In the case of American foul brood, Maassen reports that the 

 spores of Bacillus hrandenhurgiensis do not germinate in the intestine 

 of the adult bee, nor do the vegetative forms multiply there. He 

 reports that after a few days a noticeable decrease is to be observed 

 in the number of spores present. These observations caused Maassen 

 to caution those treating bee diseases against the probabilit}^ of 

 infection from these germ carriers. 



The paper also contains a report on the samples received for 

 diagnosis. Material was received from 85 apiaries. When exam- 

 ined, 66 of the samples gave evidence tliat disease was present. 

 Forty-five are reported as American foul brood, one as a mixed 

 infection of American foul brood and European foul brood, 10 as 

 European foul brood, and 10 as a mixed infection of European foul 

 brood and sour brood. 



Here the following points are to be noted : 



1. Maassen reports that Bacillus alvei is found in the intestine 

 of adult bees taken from a colony affected with European foul brood 

 and that this species multiplies in this locality. 



2. He reports tliat Streptococcus apis is found in the intestine 

 of bees that are taken from colonies affected with sour brood and 

 that tliis species also multiplies in this locality. 



3. Ho reports that the spores of Bacillus hrandenhurgiensis do not 

 increase in the intestine of the adult bee. 



4. These germ carriers, ^Maassen suggests, must not be overlooked 

 in devising methods of treatment. 



1 Maassen, Albert, March, 1910. Untersuchungen iiber die Epidemiologie der sogenannten Faulbrut 

 der Bienen. Mitteilungen aus der kaiserlichen biologischen Anstalt fiir Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Heft 

 10, pp. 37-39. 



