46 Comparative Studies 



Most of the cultures under observation were cultivated 

 in alkali-peptone bouillon (45) for several months, each 

 culture being transplanted into fresh media at intervals of 

 forty-eight hours, with the hope of increasing their viru- 

 lence. A number of the cultures produced a slight sub- 

 cutaneous edema at the point of inoculation, when first 

 isolated, but no greater degree of virulence could be se- 

 cured by the cultivation in alkali-peptone bouillon, though 

 with most of the cultures a constant reduction in the body 

 weight of the animal was noticed during the first week fol- 

 lowing the inoculations. The animals usually regained 

 their weight during the second week. Occasionally 

 an animal succumbed after inoculation, but as far as 

 could be determined death was always due to some inter- 

 current affection, usually a low-grade pneumonia due to 

 staphylococcus infection. When inoculated into the perito- 

 neal cavity with large doses (4 to 5 c. c.) of alkali-peptone, 

 bouillon cultures, forty-eight hours old, several of the ani- 

 mals died. In the autopsies on these animals slight sub- 

 cutaneous edema was sometimes found. The adrenals 

 were at times found to be slightly hyperaemic. When in- 

 oculated intra-peritoneally, there was at times considera- 

 ble sanguinous fluid in the peritoneal cavity, which con- 

 tained masses of the bacilli. Numerous leucocytes were 

 found filled with the bacilli. The organisms were recov- 

 ered in cultures made from the peritoneal fluid, while cul- 

 tures from the different organs remained sterile. There 

 were nearly always extensive adhesions of loops of intes- 

 tine to the abdominal wall or other organs in the animals 

 inoculated intra-peritoneally. Aside from foci of inflam- 

 mation in the lungs in some cases, and occasionally con- 

 gestion of the spleen, the internal organs were found nor- 

 mal. No glandular enlargements were noticed. 



Attempts were also made to increase the virulence of the 

 organisms by passing the cultures through several animals, 

 but no definite results were obtained. 



