642 



REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OP AGRICULTURE. 



crosis took the form of isolated ulcers. Owing to the depth of the 

 ulceration inflammatory adhesions had formed between the ciecum 

 and adjacent organs. There was no reactionary swelling of the inoc- 

 ulated animals at the point of injection. 



Those animals in which the disease took the hemorrhagic type 

 succumbed very suddenly, as if the invasion had taken place in a 

 single day. In those animals in which symptoms of weakness and 

 loss of appetite appeared some days before death the well-defined 

 lesions were as a rule limited to the large intestine in the form of 

 ulcerations. The former cases represent a class in which the bac- 

 terium invades the entire vascular system ; in the latter the absence 

 of a general congestion and extravasation seems to indicate a more 

 local multiplication of the specific disease germ in the intestinal tract. 



This mocie of vaccination, as shown by the results recorded, did 

 not prove to be any protection to the animals, as they died, most of 

 them, within a brief period after exposure from a very acute attack 

 of the disease. 



The spleen examined in about one-half of these cases contained the 

 bacterium of hog-cholera, usually in large numbers. From a few, 

 cultures were made in which the bacterium was found pure._ 



A second experiment was tried, in which each animal received hy- 

 podermically 40'='^ of heated culture liquid in two doses. The cultures 

 were made in beef infusion with 1 per cent, peptone, the growth being 

 killed by a temperature of 58° C. the third day after inoculation. 

 The flasks used were shaped like Erlenmeyer flasks, a glass cap being 

 fitted over the flask by means of a ground-glass joint, which con- 

 tracted into a straight narrow tube, plugged with glass wool. The 

 removal of a cotton-wool plug was thus avoided, the cap being removed 

 for inoculation. This cultu.re flask affords better ventilation and a 

 more rapid evaporation of the culture liquid than does the culture 

 tube with the bent ventilating tube. 



The following table gives all the facts necessary for an understand- 

 ing of the experiment and its results: 



Pig No. 



Heated virus. 



June 14. 



June 17. 



Total. 



Exposure in in- 

 fected pens. 



Remarks. 



Days after first 

 exposure. 



231.. 

 233.. 

 266.. 

 2.30*. 



2ur. 



268.. 

 269.. 

 270*. 



CO. 



20 

 13 

 30 



cc. 

 40 

 33 

 40 



June 21 

 June 21 

 Jiuie 21 

 June 21 

 .Tune 21 

 June 21 

 Juue 21 

 June 21 



Died July 7 

 Died July 9 

 Died July 9 

 Died July 8 

 Died July 6 

 Died July 10 

 Died July 10 

 Died July 9 



♦Check. 



It will be seen that all tlie experimental animals died, inoculated as 

 well as check animals, within a few days of one another; death taking- 

 place about sixteen to eighteen days after the first day of exposure. 

 A brief synopsis of the post mortem appearances will not be amiss in 

 this connection: 



In No. 231 the spleen was very much enlarged and gorged with blood. The in- 

 tensely congested mucous membrane of the c^cum and colon was dotted with small 



