SWINE-PLAGUE. I43 



The American swine-plague is preeminently a disease of 

 the digestive tract involving most markedly the large in- 

 testine. It is the great swine disease of this country, and 

 is probably present in England, where it is associated with 

 other diseases under the name of swine-fever. A disease 

 which was observed in Denmark and Sweden for the first 

 time in 1888-89 and known as swine-pest or swine-diph- 

 theria, has been shown by Selander, Feosch, and others 

 to be identical with our swine-plague. In the summer of 

 1889 France was visited by a swine disease, which is con- 

 sidered by CoRNiL and Chantemesse to be identical with 

 the German swine-plague, but which Rietsch and Jobert, 

 after a comparative study of the microorganisms, pronounce 

 as the American disease. In this country we have at pres- 

 ent no positive demonstration of the existence of any other 

 infectious swine disease. The swine-plague of Salmon 

 has been the subject of considerable discussion, but its ex- 

 istence can hardly be said to be established. 



The following statements concerning the chemical poisons 

 refer to the swine-plague of Billings or the hog-cholera 

 of Salmon, which are only two names for one disease. 



In pure cultures of this bacillus NoVY has found a poi- 

 sonous base, which probably has the composition Ci|,Il25N2, 

 and to which he has provisionally given the name, suso- 

 toxine. One hundred milligrammes of the hydrochloride 

 of this base causes in white rats convulsive tremors and 

 death within one and one-half hours. Post-mortem exam- 

 ination shows the heart in diastole, lungs pale, stomach 

 contracted, a serous effusion in the thoracic cavity, and the 

 subcutaneous tissue pale and oedematous. 



NoVY has also obtained a poisonous proteid from cul- 

 tures of this germ. The following experiments illustrate 

 the effects obtained with this body : 100, 50, and 25 milli- 

 grammes, respectively, were injected into three young rats 

 from the same litter. The animal which received 100 mg. 

 soon began to crawl about on its belly, being unable to rise. 

 The eyes were soon filled with a thick secretion and the 

 toes became red. Finally it became quiet, lying on its 

 belly, with feet extended. The respirations became deeper, 



