366 AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL BACTERIOLOGY 



symptoms include lack of coordination of the eyes (that is, 

 double vision) and difficulty in control of the muscles gov- 

 erning swallowing. 



Until recently it has been believed that the organism itself 

 (free from toxin) when introduced into the animal body 

 is nonpathogenic, but more recent work seems to show that 

 the organism when injected or fed to certain animals is 

 capable of producing serious or fatal results. 



Limber neck of chickens may be caused by feeding food 

 containing the organism or its toxin. The birds are par- 

 tially paralyzed, resting the tip of the bill upon the ground 

 and showing lack of ability to hold the head erect. 



According to Graham and his coworkers, this organism is 

 one of the common causes of so-called forage poisoning in 

 cattle and in horses. It has been found that this organism 

 could be isolated from silage and fodder, producing the 

 disease called "blind-staggers" in the horse, and that the 

 disease could be produced by feeding horses upon fodder 

 inoculated with pure cultures of the organism. 



Inasmuch as this organism produces a toxin, it is possible 

 that the corresponding antitoxin could be used in treating 

 the disease. In animals it has been used effectively in 

 several instances and very possibly it may be of value in 

 man. Recent work, however, indicates that there are at 

 least two distinct strains of Clostridium 'botulinum whose 

 toxins differ somewhat, and it is necessary therefore in suc- 

 cessful treatment to have an antitoxin specific for the 

 organisms which produce the infection. 



Inasmuch as this organism has been found to infect man 

 most frequently from canned foods, it is of interest to note 

 that the disease has resulted both from the eating of com- 

 mercially canned foods and home canned products. It is 

 important that canned foods be adequately sterilized and 

 care should be used not to consume foods which are "off" 



