EFFECT ON RABBITS 89 



taneous inoculation of rabbits with swine-plague bacteria from 

 different sources (epizootics) are the following : 



1. Septicemia. 



2. Peritonitis. 

 Pleuritis (usually with pericarditis). 

 Pleuritis (usually with pericarditis aud peritonitis). 

 Local lesion only. 



In septicemia, death ensues within eighteen or twenty- 

 four hours. The local lesion produced at the seat of inocula- 

 tion is slight. Bacteria are abundant in the parenchyma 

 (blood ve.ssels) of the various organs. In the form character- 

 ized by peritonitis death ensues in three to seven days. The 

 local lesion, which in all these forms of diseases increases in 

 extent with the prolongation of the life of the animal, is here 

 characterized by more or less suppurative infiltration of the 

 skin and the subcutis. The peritonitis in its earlier stages is 

 characterized by punctiform hemorrhages on the cecum 'and 

 a fibrinous or cellular exudate. It always contains immense 

 numbers of bacteria. When pleuritis is also present the exu- 

 date usually involves the pericardium as well. It varies in 

 amount according to the duration of the disease and is essen- 

 tially the same as the peritoneal exudate. 



The form characterized by pleuritis and pericarditis with- 

 out peritonitis is interesting in so far as the seat of inoculation 

 does not explain the localization, for, in every case, the inocu- 

 lation was made in the region of the abdomen. The lungs 

 may become hepatized secondarily through invasion from the 

 pleura if the animal lives long enough. 



Lastly, the form of disease in which the only localization 

 is a very extensive suppurative infiltration associated with 

 hemorrhage and edema of the subcutaneous tissue is not 

 common. 



It should be stated that the cultures from the same out- 

 break continued to produce the same form of disease in rab- 

 bits until modified by age. The maintenance of a certain uni- 



