592 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION G2. 



•7 to 1^ broad. Usually quite immobile both in effusions and in 

 artificial cultures " it may happen, however, that under certain 

 circumstances it develops some amount of mobility." In the lesions 

 and oedemas it sporulates readily. It is often in pairs, rarely in 

 chains. It may or may not stain by Grams' method, this method 

 of colouration being uncertain. The bacillus is a strict anaerobe. 

 Endeavours to separate from possible accidental bacteria of similar 

 nature by plate methods were unsuccessful by every method 

 adopted. 



Cultures were generally made in glucose broth, in which some 

 peritoneal liquid containing bacilli and spores was placed, and 

 covered with | to 1 cm. of pure olive oil. The liquid was heated 

 to 80 C. for 20 minutes to destroy all but spores, and then incubated 

 at 37 C. Provided the glucose broth is alkaline in reaction, a 

 pure culture by this means is said to result. Growth ceases by 36 

 hours, and the bacilli deposit at the bottom of the liquid in " par- 

 ticulate sand-hke masses," considered characteristic. Stab cul- 

 tures on glucose agar results in an abundant growth, which disin- 

 tegrates the medium by gas formation, and so the growth is not 

 distinctive. In glucose gelatine at 21° C the growth is distinctive, 

 but only after a week to ten days, " when little cup-shaped areas 

 of liquefaction form at intervals along the growths, and from 

 these coarse arms are thrown upwards and outwards." 



During the first two years of Hamilton's investigations he 

 failed to transmit the disease by feeding or by subcutaneous inocu- 

 lation, whether blood or peritoneal effusion was employed, experi- 

 ments being conducted on 12 sheep. 



Another experiment was conducted later, six hoggets from 

 braxy-free country and six from braxy country being inoculated 

 with peritoneal fluid from a typical case, and all being depastured 

 on braxy pasture. One died in 60 hours, with much subcutaneous 

 oedema, muscle haemorrhage, peritoneal effusions, and stomach 

 lesions ; another became ill but recovered, and the remainder re- 

 mained normal. As none of the sheep from braxy-free country 

 showed more than passing lameness, the experiment was con- 

 sidered indicative of a certain amount of resistance on their part. 



Cultures in glucose broth do not seem to have been very viru- 

 lent : Of six young sheep, each being inoculated with 1 cc. of 48 

 hours old first culture, one died in 36 hours, 2 died in 50 hours, one 

 became very iU and recovered, and the other two remained normal. 

 Post-mortem examination of the dead sheep some time after death 

 showed much general emphysema, oedema and intermuscular 

 haemorrhage of inoculated limb, fluid in some cavities, but no 

 definite stomach lesion. 2 cc. of a third generation of broth culture 

 proved non-pathogenic, and was considered attenuated. 



Experiments by feeding with cultures were generally negative, 

 those considered positive being on land naturally affected with the 

 disease, hence at least doubtful. 



As to the pathogenicity of this bacillus for other animals, 

 Hamilton is silent, beyond stating that it is usually fatal for guinea-pigs 



