58 



Bradsot. 



the mountain pastures to the farms and are pastured on lower lands 

 which have been infected by unburied carcasses. The disease also 

 occurs fre<iuently during stable feeding in the winter, and exception- 

 ally in summer during pasturing. Yearlings are most susceptible, while 

 lambs and animals over 3 years old rarely become affected. Well nour- 

 ished animals appear more predisposed. 



Fre(|uently the course of the disease is very rapid, and the animals 

 die within a few hours. In the slower form a marked weakness is 

 observed. Later the animals pass into a comatose stage, grind their 

 teeth, respiration is difficult, and soon death results. In some cases 

 frothy saliva drips from the mouth, and frecjuently tympanitis develops 

 in association with colicky symptoms. R. Frohner also observed swell- 

 ing of the head, throat and tongue, bleeding from the mouth, nose and 

 vulva, swelling and bluish-red discoloration of the vaginal mucous 

 membrane. 



On post mortem the most conspicuous change is a severe acute 

 inflammation of the abomasum and duodenum, the mucous membrane 



Fig. 18. Bacilli of Bradsot with 

 spores. Kidney fluid from sheep; 

 staining by Gram. (After Jensen.) 



Fig. 19. Bacilli of Bradsot with 

 flugclla. (After Tokishige.) 



and submucous connective tissue of which appear edematously swollen 

 and permeated with extensive hemorrhages which may sometimes be 

 necrotic. Similar changes are occasionally found in the small intestine, 

 whereas in some of the cases the autopsy reveals a general infection 

 with parenchymatous degeneration of all organs and a considerable 

 enlargement of the spleen, which may crepitate. A sero-hemorrhagic 

 exudate is present in the abdominal cavity, and gelatinous infiltration 

 of the sulx'utaneous connective tissue may be observed while the serous 

 fluid may also contain gases. 



Bacilli 2.6/^ long, 1m thick which stain by Gram, may be demonstrated 

 in the affected mucous membrane and in the subjacent gelatinous con- 

 nective tissue, while in a general infection they are also present in the 

 blood. They f re(iuently form chains, and mostly contain centrally located 

 oval spores, and may grow into long threads. The bacillus is supplied 

 with numerous long screw-like flagella (Fig. 18 and 19). It is an anae- 

 robe and multiplies in the depth of the media, forming gas, and therefore 

 resembling the bacillus of blackleg. From this, however, it may be 

 distinguished by the formation of threads and chains. It is also patho- 

 genic for pigeons, chickens and mice (Jensen, Tokishige). 



