Ophthalmic Mallein Test. 



715 



erly on account of the comparatively small number of horses 

 tested and the lack of sufficient post-mortem control work. 



After the administration of a small quantity of dilute 

 mallein into the conjunctival sac the ophthalmic reaction ap- 

 pears in the form of a conjunctivitis, swelling of the eyelids, 

 intense redness of the conjunctiva tarsi et bulbi and a purulent 

 secretion (see Plate VI). According to observations thus far 

 recorded a pronounced reaction with purulent exudate seems 

 to point to the existence of the disease, while a negative or 

 doubtful reaction has only a circumstantial value since it is 

 known that actually infected horses may sometimes react only 

 slightly or not at all. (It seems that these tests not infre- 

 quently give negative results in the first stages of the disease.) 



The ophthalmic test was first applied successfully hy Choromansky ; 15 glan- 

 dered horses that were treated with 0.1 gm. of Eiissian mallein reacting by the 

 appearance of a severe conjunctivitis, while 37 healthy horses gave a negative reac- 

 tion to this, as well 

 as to the subcuta- 

 neous test which was 

 subsequently applied. 

 Wladimiroff reports a 

 similar result ob- 

 tained in 12 affected 

 and 20 apparently 

 healthy horses ; this 

 author, however, ob- 

 tained positive oph- 

 thalmo-reactions also 

 in horses that had 

 ceased to react typi- 

 cally to the usual 

 subcutaneous test, 

 consequently he did 

 not consider a posi- 

 tive reaction to the 

 ophthalmic test as 

 necessarily indicating 

 the presence of dis- 

 ease. (An observation 

 made by M a r t e 1 

 agrees with this view; 

 this author obtained 

 a typical cutaneoup 

 reaction on his arm 

 14 years after he had 

 been infected with 

 'glanders). Schniirer 

 expresses himself 

 very favorably in re- 

 gard to the value of 

 the ophthalmic test, 

 having obtained only 

 one negative result in 

 47 glanderous horses; 

 while the test on 353 suspected horses and on 16 horses affected with some other 

 disease agreed with the results of the cutaneous and subcutaneous tests in the 

 negative character of all of them. 



The observations of Vallee in three cases, of Dietrich in 13, of Putzey & 

 Stiennon in 7, of Martel in 7, and of Klimmer & Kiessig in 9 glandered horses 

 were less satisfactory. These authors obtained distinct reactions in only about 

 one-half of their tests, which were made with 10 to 20% mallein solution. 



Technic of the Ophthalmic Test. Since the most satisfactory results have 

 thus far been obtained from the use of concentrated mallein, it is recommended that 



Fig. 124. Cutaneous Reaction in Glanders. Lymph Vessels 

 Enlarged as Result of Inflammation Radiating from 

 Scarified Area. 



