22 



These two cases, although somewhat incompletely reported, are 

 very interesting in that they illustrate the tendency to diagnose 

 human glanders as some other disease. In both of them, when 

 the cutaneous eruption occurred, a diagnosis of smallpox was made. 

 The prevalence of glanders in Manila and the filthy, negligent 

 habits of some of the population would lead one to suspect that the 

 disease is transmitted to man more often than past statistics 

 will show. 1 It would be interesting to know just to what extent 

 "failures in vaccination" could be traced to such cases. 



From the histologic examination it seems to be quite evident that 

 the process is essentially a degenerative one, in which there is 

 a total absence of any signs of proliferation. In this we can sup- 

 port the contention of Tedschi, of various French writers, and of 

 Wright and Councilman that the glanders nodule is in no way 

 related histogenetically to the tubercle, as originally held by Baum- 

 garten. 



It is altogether probable that such cases would have been over- 

 looked for some time to come if it were not for the unusual 

 interest the Harvard Commission, working in this laboratory (con- 

 sisting of Drs. Brinckerhoff and Tyzzer), has taken in all cases in 

 any way resembling or diagnosed as smallpox. 



SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE BACTERIOLOGY AND 

 POLYMORPHISM OF BACTERIUM MALLEI. 



The following is a summary of the biochemical characters of 

 Bacterium mallei, as noted in the study of several cultures from 

 equine and human sources. 



Many pathogenic organisms, when transplanted from the animal 

 body to artificial media, grow luxuriantly from the very start. 

 On the other hand, certain bacteria seem to require a little time 

 to accommodate themselves to such a change of environment; and 

 all the cultures of Bacterium mallei that I have studied have shown 

 a peculiar tardiness in the appearance of the growth, all primary 

 transplants from the tissues upon nutrient agar or glycerin agar 

 showing no growth, or at the most, a barely visible one at the 

 end of the first twenty-four hours at body temperature. However, 

 when the step from parasitism to saprophytism has been taken, 



1 Since the above was written a third human case has been encountered. 

 This case occurred in a Filipino policeman who entered the Civil Hospital, 

 where he was treated for pyaemia. The necropsy was perfurmed by Dr. 

 R. P. Strong, who kindly turned the material over to me for further study. 



