MALLEIN. 295 



nodules in the tissues ; they are rarely present in the 

 blood, and, if so, in only small numbers. 



DIAGNOSIS OF THE DISEASE BY THE METHOD OF 

 STKAUSS. From what has been said the diagnosis of 

 glanders by routine bacteriological methods is certain 

 and relatively easy, but requires time. In clinical work 

 it is of great importance for the diagnosis to be estab- 

 lished as quickly as possible. With this in view Strauss 

 has devised a method that has given entirely satisfactory 

 results. It consists in introducing into the peritoneal 

 cavity of a male guinea-pig a bit of the suspected tissue 

 or culture. If it be from a genuine case of glanders the 

 testicles begin to swell in about thirty hours, and as 

 this proceeds the skin over them becomes red and shin- 

 ing, desquamation occurs, evidences of pus-formation 

 are seen, and, indeed, the abscess (purulent orchitis) 

 often breaks through the skin. The diagnostic sign is 

 the tumefaction of the testicles. 



MALLEIN. The filtered products of growth of the 

 glanders bacillus in fluid media represent what is known 

 as mallein a group of compounds that bear to glanders 

 pretty much the same relation that tuberculin bears to 

 tuberculosis. It is used with considerable success as a 

 diagnostic aid in detecting the existence or absence of 

 deep-seated manifestations of the disease, the glanderous 

 animal reacting in from four to ten hours to subcuta- 

 neous injections of mallein, while the animal not so 

 affected gives no such reactions. 



It is prepared from old, glycerin-bouillon cultures of 

 the glanders bacillus by steaming them for several hours 

 in the sterilizer, after which they are filtered through 

 uuglazed porcelain. 



