Studies in ^Forage Poisoning V. 63 



production, was observed on the third day in the alfalfa de- 

 coction. In the oat and corn decoctions the growth was not 

 characteristic and very slight. The extract of corn silage 

 developed B. botulinus characteristically, revealing cloudiness 

 at the end of 48 hours, gas production for several days, fol- 

 lowed by a gradual clearing of the medium with the growth 

 settling to the bottom of the tube. 



A guinea pig weighing 500 gins, received by the mouth 

 2 cc.* of alfalfa decoction containing B. botulinus and suc- 

 cumbed in 18 hours. A guinea pig weighing 550 gms. was 

 given 2 cc. of the corn extract culture by the mouth and suc- 

 cumbed on the 9th day. A guinea pig given 2 cc. of the oat 

 extract culture by the mouth remained healthy. 0.1 cc. of 

 corn silage extract culture administered by the mouth to a 

 guinea pig weighing 600 gms. caused death in 15 hours. The 

 clinical symptoms and anatomic alterations in the pigs 

 artificially infected as indicated above were quite analogous 

 to the symptoms and lesions observed in pigs fatally afflicted 

 subsequently to receiving broth cultures of B. botulinus. Pre- 

 ceding death prostration and salivation were observed. 



Heavy contamination of feedstuffs with molds has been 

 frequently observed in natural outbreaks of forage poisoning, 

 tho the contention that the common molds are primarily 

 responsible for losses has never been definitely and satisfac- 

 torily provecl. The probable development of anaerobes in 

 nature in association with aerobic organisms prompted some 

 experimental trials on the development of B. botulinus in as- 

 sociation with some of the molds found in samples of feeds 

 sent to this laboratory. A mold identified as Fusarium sp.** 

 was incubated aerobically at room temperature in association 

 with B. botulinus in sterile decoctions of wholesome alfalfa, 

 oats, corn and corn silage, made slightly alkaline to litmus. 

 Tubes of these sterile forage decoctions were also inoculated 

 with the Fusarium sp. alone and incubated aerobically at room 

 temperature. Heavy growth of the mold developed in all the 



* Comparatively large amounts of forage extracts showing- little growth 

 were administered for the purpose of determining the presence of even 

 small amounts of toxin. 



"""Identification confirmed independently by Prof. F. T. McFarland of the 

 Department of Botany, University of Kentucky. 



