LOUPING-ILL. 463 



of the muscles of the head and limbs, loss of co-ordination and finally 

 complete loss of the power of movement. The name is dn-m-d from 

 the peculiar jumping movements in the early stage. 



Klein and M'Fadyean independently investigated this disease. 

 Klein found bacteria in the cerebral fluid. No micro-organisms 

 were found in the blood. Special attention was drawn to a 

 bacterium which was found by Klein in six out of seventeen cases, 

 and to a micrococcus by M'Fadyean. 



Bacteria in Louping-Ill Klein's Bacterium. Oval cocci a ml 

 rods -6 to 1 /A in length, '2 to '3 /n in breadth. Colonies in gelatin.-, 

 yellowish by reflected light, are brown by transmitted light. On the 

 Mil-face of gelatine the bacteria form a film, which is crenated .it 

 the edge, and thick in the middle, at first grey and later yill\vMi. 

 In the depth of gelatine a filament forms, composed of cl<>>< -ly 

 aggregated minute greyish colonies, and a prominent yellow growth 

 occurs 011 the free surface. The gelatine is not liquefied. The 

 bacteria grow in milk, and broth becomes turbid in two days, and 

 there is a copious flocculent greyish precipitate. 



Injection of broth cultures subcutaneously in rabbits, guinea- 

 pigs, and mice, produced no result, except local swelling at the seat 

 of inoculation, which subsided without causing any constitutional 

 symptoms. The results were equally negative when the cuh 

 were injected subcutaneously in lambs. 



M'Fadyean's Mkrococcus. Cocci -3 p. in diameter. The colon i-> 

 are flat, nearly circular, ahd have a smooth edge. In old col" 

 the centre appears as a dark spot. Gelatine is rapidly liquefied, 

 and a nearly colourless precipitate forms at the bottom of tin- 

 tube. Cultures on the surface of agar have a faint yellow tinge. 

 On potato the colour is deeper but the growth not so well marked. 

 Milk is coagulated. In broth there is an abundant growth rend.-r- 

 ing the liquid turbid and depositing a white precipitate. The mi 

 cocci stain by Gram's method. Inoculated in rabbits or guinea-pigs, 

 they produce suppuration ; in horses and bovines, an inflammatory 

 swelling results without suppuration. They produce abscesw 

 sheep and lambs. The cocci were isolated from abscesses in lamU 

 suffering from louping-ill. Though it is admitted that louping-ill 

 belongs to the class of infective diseases, there can be n> dmil.t from 

 these experiments that the nature of the contagium is unknown. 



