Bacillus alvei. By Messrs. F. Cheshire & Watson Cheyne. 601 



bouring cellular tissue was found to be very cedematous, but 

 no macroscopic changes were apparent in the internal organs. 

 Numerous bacilli were found in the cedematous fluid, as also a 

 number of spores which had not yet sprouted, and there were also 

 a few bacilli in the blood taken from the heart. This was proved, 

 of course, by cultivation as well as by microscopical examination. 

 On examining sections of the various organs no morbid changes 

 were found, and only very few bacilli were seen in the blood- 

 vessels. 



At the same time that I injected the mice I injected a syringeful 

 of the same cultivation subcutaneously into a guinea-pig. This 

 animal died six days later with extensive necrosis of the muscular 

 tissue and skin, and cheesy looking patches distributed through it. 

 There was no true pus. On making sections of the necrosed tissue, 

 numerous bacilli, apparently Bacillus alvei, were seen, but there 

 Avere other bacteria and also micrococci, as of course would be the 

 case on account of the death of the skin. No micro-organisms 

 were seen in the internal organs. It thus remains questionable 

 whether the necrosis was due to the Bacillus alvei or not, more 

 especially as I have since injected three guinea-pigs subcutaneously 

 Avith spore-bearing cultivations, but without effect. I must reserve 

 the action of these bacilli on the higher animals for further investiga- 

 tion, as well as several other points of interest in regard to this 

 organism to which I have not here alluded. 



I venture to think that when all the evidence brought forward 

 by Mr. Cheshire and myself is carefully weighed no doubt can be 

 entertained that this bacillus is new to science, and is the cause of 

 foul brood. Many questions of course still remain open, requiring 

 further investigation into the life-history of the disease. 



