Etiology. 349 



cholera. It could not be decided in these oases whether the affection of the dogs 

 was due to the microorganisms of hog cholera, to its toxins or to other bacteria. 

 Berger saw hemorrhagic gastro-enteritis in the dogs of a village after these animals 

 had fed upon parts of chickens that had been sick with fowl cholera. 



Meat or meat preparations coming from healthy animals 

 may subsequently become poisonous in consequence of contami- 

 nation with bacteria Avhich may form organic poisons or which 

 may themselves l)e of a pathogenic nature. Postmortem putre- 

 faction of albumen does not, however, appear to have a particu- 

 larly deleterious effect (M. Mtiller). 



It is quite possi])le that bacteria which are important in this re- 

 spect for meat may come from the feces or from the insufficiently cleaned 

 intestinal wall. This would explain the often very dangerous nature of 

 sausages, because they offer a chance for the chopped-up meat, etc., to 

 become infected from an insufficiently cleaned intestinal wall. Some of 

 the bacteria in question are common inhabitants of the intestines, such 

 as some species related to the bacillus coli communis which have been, 

 demonstrated repeatedly in cases of meat poisoning. 



Putrefaction of albumen leads to the formation of poisonous substances which 

 may ly^doubtedly occasionally lead to meat poisoning characterized by paralysis of 

 nerves. The most important of these are : 



Neurin, a strong poison formed in putrefying meat after .^ or 6 days, probably 

 in consequence of bacterial activity. Symptoms of neurin-intoxication are difficulty 

 in respiration, weak heart, salivation, increased peristalsis, diarrhea, convulsions, finally 

 collapse. 



Muscarin is identical with the poison contained in the poisonous fly toadstool; 

 it leads to similar symptoms. 



Methylguanidin, another not well determined ptomain, is formed in putrefying 

 horse flesh; it causes convulsions and paralysis of the heart. 



Less poisonous are cadaverin and putrescin which cause local inflammations 

 and death only in larger doses, cholin (poisonous only in very large doses) and finally 

 a ptomain isolated by Garcia from putrefying horse flesh. 



Pathogenic bacteria differing from those already mentioned 

 and generally not yet well known may get into the intestinal 

 tract with feed that is otherwise perfectly unobjectionable. Such 

 bacteria probably cause dysentery of cattle, which sometimes 

 occurs enzootically among barn fed cattle, rarely on the pasture. 

 The disease attacks almost without exception adult animals. 

 There is also the possibility that inflammations may be caused 

 by the normal intestinal bacteria in animals debilitated by insuffi- 

 cient feed. It is probable, on the other hand, that dysentery 

 in adult cattle and sheep not due to coccidia is frequently in fact 

 a form of hemorrhagic septicemia (see Vol. I). 



Under the name of dysentery are comprised in veterinary medicine a variety of 

 deeper inflammatory processes of the gastro-intestinal tract, while in human medi- 

 cine (aside from tropical amebic dysentery) dysentery designates a specific endemic, 

 diphtheritic intestinal inflammation caused by the Bacillus dysenteriaj of Shiga- 

 Kruse. It is possible that a specific, enzootic dysentery may occur in animals, 

 especially in cattle; however it cannot at this time be separated from other forma 

 of gastro-enteritis nor can its relation to human dysentery be determined.* 



*It lias however been shown that there are various types of human bacillary dysenteries 

 caused by a variety of bacilli all belonging more or less to the colon group; such bacilli 

 acting as" the cause" of dysentery, and not quite identical with the Shiga-Kruse bacillus h^ve 

 been isolated by Flexner'and others. (Translators' notice.) 



