VACCINE-THERAPY 113 



the genital organ or joint of a cow suffering from the 

 disease. 



Where the immunizer has not a stock vaccine at hand, 

 a culture should be made from the uterine discharge, and 

 also, if possible, from the joint. This latter may be difficult 

 and sometimes impossible to do, by reason of the fact the 

 bacteria may not be present in the synovia at all, as already 

 explained in the case of young foals. 



If, however, the animal dies, one can usually obtain 

 active bacteria from the neighbourhood of the joint, and 

 invariably the infection is a mixed one. 



Cattle are very tolerant to big doses of vaccine; the 

 writer does not hesitate to give 1,000,000,000 staphylococci 

 and 500,000,000 streptococci as an initial dose, and doubling 

 those doses in five days if necessary. 



We have found cases of septicemic arthritis improve 

 more rapidly under vaccine-therapy, lay on flesh more 

 quickly, and not so liable to suffer from subsequent and 

 permanent lameness, thus giving better results than can be 

 obtained by any other mode of treatment. 



Moreover, by adopting prophylactic and curative vaccines 

 lives have been saved in our hands which in all probability 

 would have died from auto-infection or intoxication, or 

 both. 



It is quite feasible to suspect the B. coli communis 

 may attack joints, in a manner similar to streptococci, from 

 the womb, and the immunizer should be on the lookout for 

 such an invasion. 



