36 



The results from the tracts of the calves dying of calf infec- 

 tions are given in Group V, and show tliat five were negative. The 

 other two showed B. coli, staphylococci, and streptococci, in the 

 organs indicated by the chart. 



In Group VI, the mature infertile or sterile bulls, there was a 

 comparatively wide variation in the type of organisms encoun- 

 tered, but streptococci and micrococci were the most common in- 

 vaders. In the order of the frequency of infection, the organs 

 would be enumerated as follows: Vesicles, epididymis (usually 

 the tail), scrotal sac, testes, prostate, and Cowper's glands. The 

 first three parts mentioned usually contained bacteria. A strep- 

 tococcus Avas the usual invader of the scrotal sac, and very prob- 

 abl}^ was the cause of the connective tissue tufts and strands so 

 frequently seen. The vesicles and epididymes gave, in the order 

 of the frequency of their occurrence, staphylococci, streptococci, 

 B. coll, and Ps. pyocijaneus. The streptococci were usually of 

 the viridans group, though a few were hemolytic, and two strains 

 were indifferent to blood. The testes gave growths in only eleven 

 instances, — staphylococci eight times, streptococci two times, and 

 an unidentified rod once. The prostate yielded staphylococci twice 

 and Cowper's gland once. 



As emphasized previously, the vesicles and tail of the epididymis 

 are most subject to infection and degenerative changes. At the 

 same time, they are intimately connected with the secretion of 

 the semen. Once the epididymis becomes infected, there is nothing 

 to prevent the organisms, together with inflammatory products, 

 from being mixed with the semen and ejaculated during coitus. 

 Also in the vesicles, unless the inflammation is so severe as to 

 occlude the excretory duct, the organisms are mixed with the 

 vesicular secretion, which is emptied into the urethra during 

 ejaculation. Carried along v/ith the bacteria, are, of course, toxic 

 products, degenerated cells, and the otherwise altered secretion of 

 the glands. One interesting case noted was that of a bull that 

 had passed from a state of fertility to that of complete sterility 

 during a period of two months. The semen was semi-fluid, green- 

 ish yellow in color, and contained a very few non-motile sperma- 

 tozoa. Post mortem examination showed that the vesicles had 

 undergone abscess formation and that they contained yellowish 

 green material similar to that which had been discharged during 

 copulation. Streptococcus hemolytic us and Ps. jyjfocyaneus were 

 isolated from both vesicles, and from the semen. Micrococcus alius 

 was isolated in nearly all cases of vesiculitis and was often asso- 

 ciated with Streptococcus viridaus or hemolyticus. 



Bacteriological studies of the semen are, on the Avhole, more or 

 less unsatisfactory, due to the present difficulty in obtaining sam- 

 ples free from any chance of contamination. In most of the ab- 

 normal bulls, bacteria of various types were isloated from the 

 semen, most of which agreed culturally with those later isolated 

 from the internal genital organs of the same tracts. The method 

 of culturing consisted of douching the prepuce of the bull and 



