490 RErORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



filass |)rci)Gratioiis of the si)lcen of these ])igs a poculiar bacterium was 

 Ibund in considerable numbers, having the ibrni of uti elongated oval, 

 cliiclly in pairs, never in chains of three or more. When stained in an 

 aqueous solution of methyl-violet for one or two minutes, its periphery 

 hecame more deeply stained, A'i''''^iS' the center apale a])pearance by con- 

 trasr. In cover-glass preiiarations of blood from the heart it could not 

 he Ibund. This microbe was identical in appearance with that found iu 

 some of the inoculated mice. 



The gelatine cultures of the spleen from these three animals con- 

 taiiu'd, in the track of the needle forty-eight Injurs after inoculation, a 

 band of very minute round colonies. A culture from a mesenteric 

 glantl of pig Ko. 103 exactly resembled these. A culture of blood from 

 tijc lieart of ])ig No. 1)5 contained but three or four colonies ; that of 

 {)ig No. 103 contained a considerable number, while that of pig No. 94 

 contained a moderate number. The microbes in these animals were 

 evidently the same ; they aj^peared much larger, however, than those 

 seen in cover glass j)re])arations of the spleen. This matter will bo 

 referred to later in describing the bacterium itself. 



Two liquid cultures inoculated with blood from tlse heart of pig No. 

 94 were tested by line cultures and the colonies found identical with 

 those obtained from pig No. 105. They contained the oval motile 

 bacterium already mentioned. 



It nnist be borne i'.i niind iu considering these three cases, that no 

 rouget bacilli were seen in any of the numerous cover-glass preparations 

 from the internal organs, more ])articularly from tlie spleen, while the 

 other microbe, the real bacterium of swine plague, appeared iu each 

 and was obtained in a condition of purity from each animal. In exam- 

 ining the poatmorlcm liotes it will also be noted that they were very 

 acute and virulent cases. This is esi)ecially true of ]>ig No. 94. In 

 none of them was theri- more than a mere beginning of ulceration in 

 the intestinal tract. 



or the four inoculations will) {lure mltuies of tlie bacterium of swino 

 ])lag!!e to be dc^scribcil larther on, the. lirst did not prove (piite satis- 

 factory, from the fact that the check-aniiijal died before eithei' of the 

 inocidated animals. It will be seen, huwever, that this need not neces- 

 sarily be considered as militating against our interpretation. The ex- 

 l)erinient is brielly as follows: Two animals (109, 113) were inoculated 

 November 20 each with 4'=<' of a liquid culture from the blood of ])ig No. 

 94, one-half into each thigh subcutaneously. No. 113 was lound dead 

 December 21. The autoi)s3- showed complete necrosis of the mucous 

 membrane of the ca'cum and colon for a distance of 2 feet. Beyond 

 this the mcTubrane was dotted with isohited ulceis. These ulcers were 

 so dee[) that tlie serous raend»rane bee.! me iidlanuMl. On ea(di tliigii at 

 the seat of inoculation a lai'ge whitish mass was ibun<l over 2,5 inches 

 long and .5 inch thick. The spleen of tiiis aninnd contained but a few 

 bacteria. No cultures were made, as subsequent inocailation experi- 

 ments had already furnished satisfactory le.sjilt*. 



No. 109 lingered until January 7, 188(!, when it was' killed. In this 

 animal tongh tumors weie Ibund at the point of ir,oculatio)i larger than 

 a hen's i"^<^. The lungs were more or less attccted, but the presence of 

 lung-worms leaves the cause of the lesions a, nmtter of doul)t. In the 

 ciecum, however, tl!er<' were extensive ulcerations, very deep, imi>licat- 

 ing the serous covering and i)roducing inflammatory adhesions with the 

 rectum. The lymphatic glands were enlarged, but pale and tough. 

 The spleen contained no bacteria; a liquid cultuje therefrom remained 

 sterile. Both must be considered as chronic cases which had outlived 



