Microbic Diseases Individually Considered. 167 



epidemics which have been observed in mankind ; 

 since the time that disinfectants came into general use 

 this complication of wounds has become extremely 



rare. 



Septiccemias of the rabbit. 



The rabbit is very sensitive to the action of patho- 

 genic microbes ; it succumbs in a comparatively short 

 time to inoculation with the majority of these germs, 

 and for this reason constitutes an important laboratory 

 auxiliary. The experiments of Davaine, Coze and 

 Feltz, and of Koch upon the virulence of putrid ma- 

 terial were made principally with this rodent. Of 

 these researches we have only to refer to those which 

 relate to the experimental septiccemia of Koch ; the 

 microbe peculiar to this disease shows, indeed, many 

 characters in common with those of certain diseases 

 of our animals, such as chicken cholera, duck cholera, 

 pneumo-enteritis of the pig, and the epizootic of deer 

 {wild-seuche). But, independent of all experimental 

 conditions, rabbits may contract diseases of a similar 

 nature, which prevail epizootically in their hutches 

 and occasion serious losses. These, in contradis- 

 tinction to the preceding, are designated sponiaiieous 

 septiccemias. We will study here, in their essential 

 points, first, the experimental septicaemia of Koch, and 

 then the spontaneous septicaemias. The reader will 

 readily notice the points of similarity of these differ- 

 ent diseases. 



Experimental septiceemia of the rabbit. {Koch.) 



Koch produced this disease by the injection of a 

 maceration of putrefied meat ; he obtained a putrid 

 phlegmon, and death at the end of three days ; the 



