286 OTHER GERM DISEASES. 



to have swine plague and the hog cholera together in the same 

 animal. The disease sometimes results in very serious losses. 

 A herd of swine may be attacked by such a violent epidemic that 

 90 per cent, of the animals succumb to the infection. After the 

 death of the animals the bacilli which produced the disease are 

 found in all of the organs, but especially in the spleen. The disease 

 occurs in an acute form, which runs its course with excessive rapidity, 

 producing death in twenty-four hours, and in chronic form, which 

 has a slower course, lasting from two to four weeks before finally 

 resulting in the death of the animal. The organism which produces 

 the disease is named B. suipestifer (or B. cholera suis), and is very 

 easily cultivated by ordinary methods in the laboratory. It is 

 capable of producing the disease, not only in the swine, but in 

 rabbits, guinea-pigs, mice, and some other animals; but as a spon- 

 taneous affection it is found in the hog only. 



Glanders. Farcy. Rotzbacillus (B. mallei). This disease, 

 well known among agriculturists, occurs not infrequently as a 

 normal infection in the horse and in the ass. It is characterized 

 by the appearance of ulcers in the nasal membranes, by enlarged 

 submaxillary lymphatics, which may turn into open discharging 

 ulcers. Later the lymphatics of the whole body may become 

 tumor-like swellings. Other parts of the body may eventually 

 be affected. The secretions from the various ulcers are found to be 

 decidedly infectious, and it is through these ulcers that the disease 

 is commonly distributed. It occurs in an acute form and in a 

 chronic form; the latter, chiefly in the skin, receiving the name 

 of farcy, the former, chiefly in the lungs and nasal passages, more 

 commonly known as glanders. It occurs spontaneously only in 

 horses and asses, and causes great losses in nearly all localities. It 

 may occur by accidental or artificial infection in many other animals. 

 It occurs occasionally in men who have become accidentally inoc- 

 ulated in the treatment of horses suffering from the disease, and 

 when it does occur in man it is an extremely fatal disease, almost 

 always resulting in death. 



The bacillus which produces the disease is named B. mallei. 

 It is a short stationary rod which lends itself readily to bacteriological 



