340 CONTAGIOUS DISEASES. 



contact should be examined, the temperature of the animals to 

 be operated upon should be taken and carefully noted for a 

 day or two before the inoculations are made. The seat of 

 operation should be the lower parts of the neck or behind 

 the elbow. The part is to be well washed witli a five per cent, 

 solution of carbolic acid and the syringe disinfected with the 

 same solution. 



Taking up a fold of the skin, the needle is pushed into the 

 loose subcutaneous tissue, which in these positions is abundant, 

 and about 40 minims of the tuberculin injected. The tem- 

 perature is to be taken ten, twelve, fifteen, eighteen, and 

 twentyrone hours after the injection. The following are con- 

 clusions arrived at after very extensive trials, and published in 

 the " Annales of the Pasteur Institute " : — 



1. Tuberculin has a specific action on tuberculous bovine 



animals, which is expressed by a considerable rise in 

 temperature. 



2. The injection of a strong dose gives rise in tuberculous 



animals to an elevation of temperature of between 2 to 

 5 degrees Fahrenheit. 



3. The same dose injected into non-tuberculous animals does 



not ordinarily produce any appreciable febrile reaction. 



4. The febrile reaction appears most frequently between 



twelve and fifteen hours after the injection, sometimes at 

 the ninth hour, very rarely after eighteen hours : it 

 always lasts several hours. 



5. The duration and the intensity of the reaction are not 



related to the number and the gravity of the lesions ; it 

 seems even that the reaction may be more decisive in 

 the case where, the lesion being very limited, the animal 

 has conserved the appearances of health. 



6. In the subjects gravely affected by tubercle, and especially 



in those which are fevered, the reaction may be little 

 marked or absolutely wanting. 



7. It is prudent to take the temperature of animals morning 



and evening for several days before the injection, because 

 it may happen that from trifling and temporary affections, 

 congestion and the like, there may be fluctuations of 

 temperature productive of serious error. For these 

 animals it is necessary to put off the injection. 



