SEPTIC PNEUMONIA. 407 



months old, killing them very quickly. Poels, who has studied 

 this disease, states that it is due to the presence of a facultative 

 bacterium which is found in the soil of certain farms, and the 

 disease is thus rendered persistent on such infected lauds. It is 

 an ovoid bacterium with rounded ends, with a clear centre, 

 measuring from -g-^ViJ- ^o tg^oo o^ ^^^ inch in length, and rnvwir 

 in breadth, staining with aniline colours, but not by Gram's or 

 AVeigert's. The same, or a similar bacterium, is found in the 

 broncho-pneumonia of American cattle. The same microbe is 

 said to be found in the diarrlioea of calves — " white scour " — 

 and calves fed with small doses of bouillon cultures, about 1| 

 drachms, become diseased, and die in one to two days. The 

 same germ is found in the contents of the intestines of liealthy 

 calves, but destitute of pathogenic properties, and it is supposed 

 by Jensen that it only becomes virulent under certain abnormal 

 conditions, perhaps attributable to the diet, and that this virulence 

 becomes increased by subsequent passage from calf to calf. 



The symptoms are those of pneumonia, with or without 

 diarihcea. 



There is a cough, with discharge from the nostrils, and the catar- 

 rhal products contain the microbes, which are thus spread around 

 with the expectoration and fseces. Anyhow, it is admitted that 

 the disease is transmitted from one animal to another, and Poels 

 says that he has found the microbes in all the organs ; and he is 

 supported by Jensen, who has found them in the blood, spleen, 

 liver, lungs, kidneys, heart, and in the mucous membrane of the 

 intestinal canal. 



The disease is occasionally very fatal a.mongst sheep, par- 

 ticularly lambs and others under one year old (iioggs), and 

 Galtier states that it is identical witli pneumo-enteritis of the 

 pig, and that he has transmitted it from the pig to the sheep, 

 guinea-pig, rabbit, and from these latter he has retransmitted to 

 the pig and sheep. He has also transmitted it to the dog, goat, 

 calf, donkey, and poultry, and to a goat in an advanced state of 

 pregnancy, inducing abortion. The foetus when examined was 

 found to have in the thoracic and abdominal cavities a sero- 

 sanguinous exudate, containing the microbes, and reproducing 

 the disease by inoculation. 



The post mortem appearances are those of intense pulmonary 

 congestion, with or without pleurisy. In some cases a gelatinous 



