624 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



of necrosed tissue, did not crumble readily between the forceps. Tlie superficial 

 veins in the vicinity were dark and distencled with blood. On the contiguous al>- 

 dominal wall tlicre was a patch about 2"" diameter closely studded with small ex- 

 travasations. TJiese were found isolated as far as tlie lowest ribs on the same side. 

 In the abdominal cavity there was a small quantity of stainetl serum. The in- 

 testines and bladder were lightly glued to each other and to the abdominal walls. 

 The sj)leen but slightly augmented in size. The liver studded with minute isolated 

 whitish points of coagidation necrosis. Lungs mottled with a bright red through- 

 out. In the spleen and liver the bacteria inoculated were abundant. A culture in 

 nutritive gelatine from the liver grew precisely like former cultures. Two cultures 

 in beef-infusion ])eptone were turbid on the following day, and had a complete 

 membrane.* Both were pure cultures of the motile bacterium inoculated. 



A young rabbit moculated May 28 with a comparatively large quantity (i") of the 

 tliirtcenth culture (mouse) was found dead June 3. The local and general lesions 

 were the same as those above detailed. The bacteria were present in considerable 

 numbers m spleen and liver. 



In liquid cultures from blood of heart and liver the motile bacterium only was 

 found, forming a surface membrane. Cultures in gelatine were equally satisfactory. 

 The lesions produced by this bacterium resembled those produced heretofore by the 

 bacterium discovered in the East very closely. The spleen, however, was not 

 markedly enlarged. 



Effect on pigeons. — Two young pigeons were inoculated April 23, beneath the skin 

 over the pectorals, each with .6'^''- of a culture frona a mouse. They appeared unaf- 

 fected until April 27, when the feathers became ruffled and the birds moved about 

 with difficulty. They became worse, exhibiting the usual ^)pearances of pigeons 

 inoculated with the hog-cholera bacterium; feathers much ruffled, so as to give 

 the birds a puffed appearance, tail feathers droopmg, head dravv'n in and depressed. 

 Discharges of a mucous character. One was found dead April 30, the other died in 

 the covu'se of the same day. In both the pectorals presented the parboiled appear- 

 ance due to the local effect of the culture and previously described. In one bird 

 the bacteria were abundant in the liver, few in the spleen; in the other there were 

 but a few in both organs. Finally, hquid as well as tube cultures in gelatine M^ere 

 successful in containing the bacterium inoculated. Another pigeon inoculated at 

 the same time, which ha,d been fed with spleen unsuccessfully some weeks pre%'i- 

 ously, did not become sick. After two weeks it was killed, and in each pectoral an 

 elongated sequestrum was found siu-rounded by a membrane and evidently in pro- 

 cess of absorption. Another pigeon previously vaccinated and inoculated witli the 

 bacterium of the East, and now inoculated with this bacterium from Nebraska, 

 rercamed perfe(^tly well. Two other pigeons were inoculated April 24, for the sake 

 of comparison, one witJi f™ of a liquid culture of the Eastern, and the other with 

 the Western variety. Both pigeons exhibited the characteristic syinptoms above 

 described. Tlie former died April 30; the latter recovered. Wlien killed later 

 only a small sequestrum was found at the seat of inoculation. In the former, bac- 

 teria were found in spleen and liver. A tube culture in gelatine from liver and a 

 Liquid culture from blood of heart were both cultures of the Eastern germ. The 

 bacterium failed to show any pathogenic effects when mjected beneath the skin of 

 two guinea-pigs. ' The same culture which was promptly fatal to a rabbit had no 

 effect whatever on a guinea-pig inoculated at the same time. 



Whether we are here confronted by a very shght attenuation or weakening of 

 the virus witii reference to guinea-pigs, due to prolonged cultivation in artificial 

 media, with an occasional rejuvenation by its passage tlirough a susceptible animal, 

 or whetJier the difference in activity between it and the bacterium from Eastern 

 outbreaks of the disease is in reality due to a permanent physiological difference, 

 remains to be determined by additional experiments. 



In order to determine the effect of inoculation upon pigs at the 

 Experimental Station, bits of two spleens from Nebraska were intro- 

 duced beneath the skin of each thigh and the remainder fed to tho 

 same animals on March 16. A slight swelling at the place of inocu- 

 lation soon subsided. As no results followed, tho same animal was 

 fed April 28 with portions of the spleen of four or five pigs which had 

 died of hog-cholera at the Station. It was found dead May 4. With- 

 out giving the autopsy notes in detail, it is sufficient to state that 



*Tlus bacterium differs from the one described in forming a surface membrane 

 on liquids. 



