CAUSE AND DEVELOPMENT. 253 
face. If on the other hand the microorganism of hemorrha- 
gic septicemia, which resembles in all laboratory peculiari- 
ties the germs of swine plague, are commonly present in less 
virulent forms or present under conditions where there is but 
limited opportunity for the development and the production 
-of disease, then the farmer may expect an outbreak of it at 
-any time and so far as he knows under any conditions, and 
he has no means of guarding against it—a quite different 
‘proposition. 
Cause.—The specific cause of this disease is apparently a 
-germ (Bacillus bovisepticus) which cannot be distinguished 
‘from the bacillus of swine plague by any cultural or mor- 
phologicalcharacteristics. How this micro-organism spreads 
-or how it gains entrance into theanimal body is not known, 
but at present we suppose that the entrance may be effected 
by inoculation; through the respiratory or through the 
alimentary mucous membrane. 
History and Development.—The onset is usually sudden 
and most unexpected, and yet in some recent outbreaks of 
‘disease in which the presence of the micro-organism was 
demonstrated, the onset was quite slow and the cases were 
* distinctly chronic. Hemorrhagic septicemia is probably 
more prevalent than is generally supposed, and itis undoubt- 
edly true that a great many outbreaks of this disease have 
been incorrectly diagnosed as anthrax, symtomatic anthrax, 
infectious cerebro.spinal meningitis, corn stalk disease, and 
very possibly as parturient paresis. Fromreports that have 
appeared in the veterinary journals at various times it is 
very evident to those who have had opportunity to study 
this disease, that outbreaks of haemorrhagic septicemia have 
appeared ina great many different sections of the United 
States at least, and have been incorrectly diagnosed. Cases 
which have been described in the East as cerebro spinal men- 
ingitis have been very plainly haemorrhagic septicemia, and 
this is also true of so-called corn stalk disease of the West. 
Season and climatic conditions apparently have nothing 
to do with the prevalence, virulence or disappearance of this 
disease. The mortality of the past few years during which 
it has been studied in Minnesota has been extremely high, 
cases all ending abruptly in death, with the exception of cer- 
