OTHER BACTERIAL DISEASES. 381 



among the wild rabbits, and thus perhaps cause the extermina- 

 tion or great reduction in the numbers of these animals. The 

 plan has never been tried and is simply interesting as a sug- 

 gestion. 



Hog Cholera. (B. suipestifer.) The hog cholera is a disease 

 related to the last, although clearly distinct from it, and is one 

 which develops spontaneously in swine only. It is quite com- 

 mon to have the swine plague and the hog cholera together 

 in the same animal. The disease sometimes results in very 

 serious losses. A herd of swine may be attacked by such a 

 violent epidemic that 90 per cent, of the animals succumb to 

 the infection. After the death of the animals the bacilli which 

 produced the disease are found in all of the organs, but especi- 

 ally in the spleen. The disease occurs in an acute form, which 

 runs its course with excessive rapidity, producing death in 

 twenty-four hours ; and in a chronic form, which has a slower 

 course, lasting from two to four weeks before finally resulting 

 in the death of the animal. The organism which produces the 

 disease is well known and has been carefully studied. It is a 

 bacillus named B. suipestifer (or B. cholerce suis), and is very 

 easily cultivated by ordinary methods in the laboratory. It is 

 capable of producing the disease, not only in the swine, but in 

 rabbits, guinea-pigs, mice, and some other animals ; but as a 

 spontaneous affection it is found in the hog only. 



Glanders. Farcy. Rotzbacillus. (B. mallei.) This dis- 

 ease, well known among agriculturists, occurs not infrequently 

 as a normal infection in the horse and in the ass. It is char- 

 acterized by the appearance of ulcers in the nasal membranes, 

 by enlarged submaxillary lymphatics, which may turn into 

 open discharging ulcers. Later the lymphatics in the body 

 generally may become tumor-like swellings. Other parts of 

 the body may eventually be affected. The secretions from the 

 various ulcers are found to be decidedly infectious, and it is 

 through these ulcers that the disease is commonly distributed. 



