128 



Bulletin No. 208. 



inally associated with a natural outbreak of forage poisoning in 

 mules. In preliminary tests the unfiltered broth culture of this 

 organism, administered by the mouth, proved pathogenic for 

 guinea pigs and a mule. The filtered broth culture, adminis- 

 tered by the mouth, proved fatal to guinea pigs, 2 horses and 

 a mule. A protection was provided by administering botulism 

 antitoxin to guinea pigs and horses against a lethal amount of 

 the organism in broth or the sterile filtrate of broth culture of 

 the organism in question. Serum immune to the bacillus iso- 

 lated from the ensilage proved efficacious in protecting guinea 

 pigs against a fatal artificial infection of B. botulinus, as well 

 as against the organism isolated from the ensilage. The ag- 

 glutinins present in serum highly immune to B. botulinus were 

 active to the organism isolated from the ensilage, thus contribut- 

 ing evidence of the possible relation of this organism to B. botu- 

 linus. Normal sera of different animals did not agglutinate 

 B. botulinus nor the organism from the ensilage. Sheep serum 

 immune to the organism isolated from the ensilage possessed ag- 

 glutinating potency to B. botulinus and to a similar pathogenic 

 anaerobe isolated from a horse fatally afflicted subsequently to 

 drinking the water in which was immersed an oat hay obtained 

 from a distant outbreak of this disease. 



Agglutination Test of B. botulinus*. 

 CHART 6. 



+ Positive Reaction. 



Negative Reaction. 



* B. botulinus (N. B. S. strain) from Buckley of Bureau of Animal 

 Industry, Washington. 



** Serum from horse fatally infected with B. botulinus. 



*** Serum from horse fatally infected with anaerobic organism from 

 ensilage. 



