218 BACTERIOLOGY. 



original weight. In other cases, after inoculations to 

 which the animal is not susceptible, rabbits in particular, 

 if properly fed, will frequently gain steadily in weight. 

 The condition of progressive emaciation just mentioned 

 is conspicuously seen after intra-venous inoculation of 

 rabbits with cultures of the bacillus typhi abdominalis 

 and of th e bacterium coli commune referred to in the 

 chapter on the latter organism, and if looked for will 

 doubtless be seen to follow inoculation with other organ- 

 isms capable of producing chronic forms of infection, 

 but which are frequently considered non-pathogenic be- 

 cause of their inability to induce acute conditions. Not 

 infrequently in chronic infections there may be hardly 

 any marked and constant temperature variations until 

 just before death, when there will sometimes be a rise 

 and at other times a fall of temperature. 



In the majority of cases, however, one must be very 

 cautious as to the amount of stress laid upon changes 

 in weight and temperature, for unless they are progres- 

 sive or continuous in one or another direction they may 

 have little or no significance in indicating the existence 

 or absence of disease. 



