206 EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



matic pericarditis of steer; purulent endometritis and uterine 

 torsion of cow ; cholera and demodectic scabies of the pig ; trau- 

 matic peritonitis, due to perforation of gizzard of fowl with wire 

 nail; variola; fatty infiltration of liver of fowl; and bacillary 

 white diarrhcea of chicks. Several samples of milk, contami- 

 nated with special species of bacteria causing such abnormal 

 conditions as " curdled," " bitter " and " gassy " milk, have been 

 received and examined, and advice given as to how the trouble 

 could best be eliminated and prevented. 



Whenever the seriousness and nature of an outbreak of dis- 

 ease seems to warrant it a visit is made to the farm where the 

 trouble makes its appearance, for the purpose of making a crit- 

 ical study of conditions under which the disease of the animals 

 has developed and exists. In such cases, in order not to en- 

 croach upon the field and practice of the local veterinarian, 

 provided there is one in the locality, the visit is usually made in 

 company with the local practitioner. 



Another field in which the department has been able to render 

 some service to the stockmen of the State has been in the exam- 

 ination of stables and advising with reference to the improve- 

 ment of sanitary conditions. This has not onl}^ been done with 

 stables already constructed, but also, in some instances, plans 

 of proposed stables have been submitted for examination and 

 suggestions. 



As already mentioned, the department has not been able to 

 carry on as much original investigation as it desired on account 

 of the amount of teaching that it has been necessary to do. This 

 has been due, in part, to the fact that we have taught through- 

 out the year the courses in bacteriology that eventually will be 

 taken over into the new department of microbiology, created by 

 trustee vote last year, and to wdiich Dr. C. E. Marshall was 

 elected the head. When we are relieved of this line of teaching 

 it is hoped that more time can be given to investigation prob- 

 lems. It will not, however, completely remedy the difficulty, as 

 courses in pathology will be introduced into the curriculum 

 that will be carried by this department. While these will not 

 be as time-consuming as the work in bacteriology, they will in- 

 terfere sufficiently M'ith the class of investigational work that 

 is demanded to warrant the employment of a pathologist on the 



