VIII A PATHOGENIC BACILLUS 73 



with recent broth cultures (one to two minims) of 

 the latter. The birds were found dead or dying be- 

 fore 24 hours were over, the heart's blood and the 

 blood juice of the hypersemic lungs containing but 

 comparatively few of the bacilli, in strong contrast to 

 the condition described of the behaviour of the 

 bacillus of grouse disease. 



An important difference, however, exists between 

 the action on pigeons of our aerobic oedema bacillus 

 and that of the grouse bacillus. As has been stated 

 in a previous chapter, pigeons are refractory to even 

 large doses of virulent broth culture of the grouse 

 bacillus, but on injection with broth culture of our 

 malignant oedema bacillus they are anything but 

 refractory. On the day following the subcutaneous 

 inoculation with 5 minims of a recent broth culture 

 of our malignant oedema bacillus, the pigeons were 

 found distinctly ill, quiet, off their food, when made to 

 move they were seen to be very shaky on their legs, 

 and they were very unwilling to move ; this condition 

 lasted for several days, but eventually they recovered. 



A very remarkable antagonistic action exists be- 

 tween the two bacilli if they are injected at the same 

 time into the same mice. Recent (24-48 hours old) 

 broth cultures of either of them, injected separately 

 under the skin of the back of white mice, in doses 

 varying between 2 and 5 minims, produce illness and 



