Bacillus Pyogenes. 



on which the entire milk production in all its relations may be ele- 

 vated, and will be elevated, since the voluntary intelligent co-opera- 

 tion of the owners constitutes the fundamental principle on which 

 the state bases its allowance of reimbursement. 



Without the voluntary co-operation of the producers, the 

 elevation of milk hygiene is practically impossible. 



It will take years before the conditions will markedly improve, 

 but the improvements will surely come, and they will not confine 

 themselves alone to the tuberculosis question. 



Other Forms of Mastitis. 



The other forms of chronic mastitis, with the exception of 

 tuberculosis of the udder, are of slight importance for practical 

 purposes when compared with streptococcic mastitis. 



Thus for instance the mastitis produced by the Bacillus pyog- 

 enes bovis is relatively rare, and the author has had the oppor- 

 tunity on only three occasions to attribute the development of 

 chronic mastitis to the Bacillus pyogenes. Glage, Nielsen, Kuhl- 

 mann, and Sven Wall, however, have observed the infection fre- 

 quently, and even describe an epizootic extension of the infection. 

 Mixed infections of staphylococci and colon bacteria, with the 

 Bacillus pyogenes, appear to be more frequent and in these cases 

 a severe mastitis is produced. It results in abscess formation and 

 necrosis of the affected parts, with an induration of the tissues. 

 The secretion is sanio-purulent, and mostly of an offensive odor. 

 Kiinnemann found the bacillus at first in suppurations of cattle, 

 and Grips in suppurating processes of hogs. They are small, deli- 

 cate rods of the size of the swine erysipelas bacillus, growing bet- 

 ter anaerobically than aerobically, forming dew-drop like colonies 

 on agar, or serum agar. Milk coagulates to a uniform clot. The 

 bacillus does not take the Gram stain, but it may be stained by 

 Weigert's method. 



Very little is known relative to the behavior of the Bacillus 

 pyogenes bovis towards man. According to the author's observa- 

 tions it appears to belong to the group of pseudo-influenza bacilli 

 (Pfeiffer). Such rods were found in influenza-like pneumonias, in 

 bronchitis (Pfeiffer), in suppuration of the middle ear (Kossel, 

 Hartmann, Pielicke and Cantani), also in whooping cough (Afan- 

 asieff, Szewetschenko, Wendt and others). Friedberger discovered 

 a similar rod in the mucus of the prepuce of a dog. Frank 

 describes it in the pus of a hog. Frosch found it in the blood of 

 geese, and Beck in an infectious pneumonia of rabbits. It belongs 

 to a widely spread bacterial group. 



The Bacillus pyogenes is non-pathogenic for small, experimen- 

 tal animals and pigeons. 



Since rods similar to those of the Bacillus pyogenes have been 

 found in man it is not impossible that affections of man may be 

 produced by milk from udders with this form of infection. 



