120 BOVINE OBSTETRICS 



foetus and its membranes, caused by a low organism, and which 

 do not directly concern the cow." 



Galtier, Poncins and Ory observed cases of enzootic abor- 

 tion, which led them to the deduction that infectious abortion 

 is the result of a constitutional disease of the cow, transmitted 

 to the foetus and caused by bacteria. Their experiments and 

 observations were made on a farm where abortion was enzootic 

 for 20 years. 



Here also the young animals born at the right time 

 frequently became ill soon after birth, showing symptoms of 

 broncho-pneumonia and enteritis, occasionally nervous symp- 

 toms ; they had a fetid diarrhoea and sometimes convulsions. 

 The grown unirnpregiiated animal, according to their opinion, 

 bears the disease without noticeable symptoms ; but as soon as 

 pregnancy occurs the pathogenic agent finds a favorable 

 medium in the tissues of the young. Inoculations with por- 

 tions of the aborted foetus or foetal envelopes, the disease was 

 transferred to swine, sheep, rabbits, goats and guinea-pigs. 

 The diseases following those inoculations were mainly pneu- 

 monia and enteritis. 



Prof. B. Bang (Copenhagen), together with his assistant. 

 Veterinarian Stiibolt, has made many examinations in regard 

 to infectious abortion, and obtained fine results by his highly 

 interesting experiments. Owing to his kindness, I am able to 

 reproduce verbatim his personal communication : 



Enzootic abortion is the result of a slow uterine catarrh caused by 

 a sp lifio, very small bacillus. When a pregnant cow is slaughtered at the 

 time when the first symptoms of an approaching abortion manifest them- 

 selves — that is, befoi'e dilatation of the cervix uteri — a considerable amount 

 of sero-purulent exudate is found between the wall of the uterus and the 

 foetus. 



The exudate, of dirty aspect and almost inodorous, separates into a 

 serous fluid and thick muco-purulent sediment, when put into a glass and 

 left to itself. The exudate contains the pure culture of a small organism 

 which at first sight appears to be a coccus ; closer examination shows that 

 it is a small punctated bacillus, which stains especially well. It takes up 

 the ordinary stains ; for instance, Loffler's Blue. The bacteria lie either 

 isolated or are found in enormous numbers in thin large cells (desquamated 

 epithelium) , giving them the appearance of micrococci, being aggregated so 



