216 MICROBIOLOGY 



Distribution. The species belonging to this genus are 

 widely distributed in external nature. Migula describes about 

 380 species, a number of which were found in the intestines of 

 domesticated animals. They exist, however, in soil and water 

 as well as in the animal body. There are undoubtedly many 

 descriptions not included in Migula 's list. From the point of 

 view of pathology, this genus contains a number of groups of 

 organisms that are of the highest importance and which still 

 require a large amount of study before their relation one to 

 another can be accurately determined. The two most important 

 groups are the acid fast or acid proof organisms, and the sep- 

 ticeniia hemorrhagica group, both of which appear to contain 

 species that' range in their relation to disease producing power 

 from unquestioned saprophytes to highly virulent pathogenic 

 forms. 



BACTERIUM ABORTIONIS BANG. 



Synonyms. Bacillus abortus; Bacillus of contagious abor- 

 tion in cattle, Bang. 3 



Place in nature. This organism is supposed to be the 

 cause of infectious abortion in cattle. It was discovered by 

 Bang in Denmark, who described it as an anaerobe. Later it 

 was isolated and described by M'Fadyean and Stockman 4 and 

 McNeal 5 who were able to cultivate it in the presence of oxy- 

 gen. There are those who feel that this organism has not been 

 satisfactorily demonstrated as the cause of abortion. Nowak * 

 confirmed the work of Bang and placed great confidence in 

 the etiological relation of this organism to the disease. Nowak 's 

 contribution to our knowledge of this subject was in the dis- 



'Bang. Zeitsch. f. Tiermedizin, Bd. I (1897) Heft 1; also Jour. 

 CJomp. Path, and Therap., Vol. X (1897) p. 125. 



* M'Fadyean and Stockman. Report of the Departmental Com- 

 mittee appointed by the Board of Agric. and Fisheries to inquire 

 into epizootic abortion. London, 1909. 



* McNeal. Jour, of Inf. Diseases, Vol. VII (1910) p. 469. 

 Nowak. Ann. de 1'Inst. Pasteur, Vol. XXII (1908) p. 541*. 



