Studies in Forage Poisoning V. 93 



intravenously, apparently afforded protection against lethal 

 amounts of this filtrate. 



4. (a) An anaerobic organism resembling B. botulinus, 

 isolated from water in which the oat hay had been immersed, 

 proved fatal to horses, mules and guinea pigs, when adminis- 

 tered by the mouth. 



(b) B. botulinus antitoxic serum administered intra- 

 venously and subcutaneously to horses and mules and inira- 

 peritoneally to guinea pig3, apparently provided protection in 

 these animals against a lethal infection, per os, of the organism 

 isolated from the water in which the oat hay had been immersed. 



(c) The sterile filtrate from a broth culture of the or- 

 ganism isolated from the oat hay proved fatal to horses, after 

 ingestion, and botulism antitoxic serum, administered intra- 

 venously, proved efficacious in protecting horses against a lethal 

 quantity of the filtrate, administered by the mouth. 



5. Several horses receiving prophylactic injections of 

 B. botulinus antitoxic serum consumed water, for thirty days, 

 from the barrel in which the oat hay was immersed without 

 noticeable effect, at the end of which time a lethal amount of the 

 organism isolated from the oat hay water was also consumed 

 with impunity. In one horse antitoxic serum apparently did 

 not afford protection against the oat hay water. For a period 

 of thirty days three horses consumed the water in which the 

 oat hay was immersed without noticeable effect, but succumbed 

 after ingesting a lethal amount of the organism resembling B. 

 botulinus, isolated from the oat hay. 



6. The definite morphological, cultural and serological 

 characters of the organism isolated from experimental horse 

 No. 91 and of the organism isolated from the oat hay water closely 

 ally them to B. botulinus, and to our knowledge constitutes the 

 first time this, or an allied anaerobic organism, has been defi- 

 nitely established as an etiologic factor in forage poisoning. 



Ackno wle dgment s . 



The assistance rendered by Dr. R. L. Moody, of Maysville, 

 Ky., Dr. T. L. Breeck, of Carrollton, Ky., and other practicing 



