" BRAXY " SHEEP DISEASE IN AUSTRALIA. 611 



small areas of haemorrhage, with one large patch of necrosis ; hepatic glands 

 haemorrhagic. Thorax ; no pleural exudate. Lungs cedematous and en- 

 larged. Pericardium : about 2 oz. sero-sanguineous effusion. Petechial 

 epicardium, especially around grooves. Mediastinal glands cedematous and 

 hasmorrhagic. No odour internally of putrefaction. Microscopical examina- 

 tion of fluids and tissues showed numbers of double bacilli, also larger, at 

 times filamentous organism.s, and a few cocco-bacilli. Only one aerobic 

 organism was present, a mctile short bacillus, which had also been isolated 

 from the original sheep. That this was not pathogenic was proved by 

 inoculation of guineapigs and rabbits, each with 0-5 cc, and a sheep (8) with 

 1 cc, all of which, but for trans ent swellings, remained normal. 



Sheep 7 (which had resisted inoculation with fluids of Case II.) was re- 

 inoculated with 4 drops of clear effusion that had been pipetted from the 

 subcutaneous tissue of sheep 6 the day before death. The material had been 

 placed at 37° for 24 hours, emitted a slight odour of putrefaction and contained 

 a few anaerobic bacilli in pairs, sometimes in chains of four, with few spores. 

 The following day the animal was dull, the leg dragging, but little swelling, 

 temperature 104°. Some improvement was observed during the day, but 

 next day dullness and lameness had increased, the faeces were slightly blood- 

 stained ; there was grinding of teeth and restlessness. Next day, symptoms ag- 

 gravated, temperature 105 -5. Slight discharge from vagina ; but swelling of limb 

 not increased — no discolouration. Animal in extremis and killed 72 hours after 

 inoculation. Post-mortem : little subcutaneous oedema. Peritoneal cavity 

 about 10 oz. cloudy, slightly blood-tinged fluid. Stomachs normal. Intes- 

 tines, especially caecum, congested, and haemorrhagic, with small blood 

 extravasations ; liver, pale, shrunken ; kidneys, normal ; uterus, congested 

 with much sero-sanguineous fluid infiltrating wall and foetal membranes — 

 two foeti about a month old being present. Thorax : about 6 oz. of deeply 

 blood-tinged pleural fluid, pericardium distended with similar effusion. Left 

 ventricle : many subendocardial haemorrhages. Examination of fluids, spleen, 

 etc., showed a number of bacilli, those in pairs predominating, but other bacilli 

 morphologically different were also present. 



Sheep 9 (2 years old), crossbred merino. — Inoculated in shoulder with 

 0"25 cc. pericardial fluid from sheep 6, after incubation, showing chiefly 

 bacilli in pairs, some sporulating. The following day the animal was slightly 

 lame, but otherwise normal. Next day, dull, lame, and with considerable 

 swelling, temperature 105-6. Animal kifled 70 hours after inoculation when 

 moribund. Post-mortem : much swelling of subcutaneous tissues, but no 

 skin discolouration ; oedema clear, but little blood-tinged, semi-gelatinous 

 and with no odour, beyond a marked " muttony " odour. Peritoneal cavity : 

 no effusion ; abomasum practically empty ; intestines normal. Spleen : 

 dark, softened but not enlarged ; kidneys normal ; about 10 oz. straw- 

 coloured effusion in pleural cavity ; lungs cedematous ; pericardium dis- 

 tended with clear effusion ; heart normal. Microscopical examination failed 

 to detect any organisms in the pleural, and pericardial fluids, blood and spleen, 

 but the subcutaneous oedema contained the paired bacilli, some sporulating, 

 and some short cocco-bacilli. The subcutaneous oedema at some distance 

 from the point of inoculation showed a few bacilli, generally in pairs, ap- 

 parently pure, and similar to those found in greatest numbers in the fluids 

 of Case I and liver of Case II. 



Sheep 11 (3 years old). — Inoculated with 0'30 cc. clear subcutaneous 

 fluid from sheep 6, removed 12 hours before death. This material had been 

 incubated for several days, and remained clear, with no odour and apparently 

 aterile. The animal remained normal. (See sheep 7.) 



Sheep 12 (2 years old), merino cross ewe. — Inoculated with 0'25 cc. sub- 

 cutaneous clear serosity from sheep 9 : 24 hours later the limb was carried, 

 there was distinct subcutaneous swelling and temperature 104'6. The con- 

 dition became aggravated throughout the day, respirations increased to 110 

 per minute, the temperature gradually rose to 106-5, the swelling increased, 

 and the foeces became slightly blood-stained. Death occurred about 44 

 hours after inoculation ; post-mortem examination being made two hours 



