36 CANINE DISTEMPER 
uncontaminated. The organism was found in the larynx, 
trachea, large and small bronchi, lungs, and blood. 
M‘Gowan and Torrey (1911) had been working inde- 
pendently of each other, and simultaneously with Ferry, 
and both isolated what was agreed to be the identical 
microbe found by Ferry. M‘Gowan’s bacillus was taken 
from the nasal and tracheal mucous membrane in all 
cases, from empyemata of the middle ear, from meninges 
(chorea cases), and lungs (pneumonia cases); never in 
the blood, the condition thus not being of a septicaemic 
nature. It was found to be pathogenic to dogs, cats, 
rabbits, monkeys, ferrets, and guinea-pigs. Its charac- 
teristics were: Gram-negative, non-sporulating, feebly 
motile, flagellated; no acid, indol, or gas formation; 
gelatin not liquefied; and on glycerine agar it assumes 
an almost coccal form (Journ. Path. and Bact., vol. xv., 
1911). Torrey did not publish his observations until 1913 
(Journ. Med. Res., vol. xxvii., 1913), when they substan- 
tially agreed with all that Ferry and M‘Gowan had pre- 
viously said. 
The Great War doubtless curtailed further concen- 
trated effort during the succeeding years, for up to the 
moment of writing, no new theory or discovery has been 
propounded on this most complex question of etiology. 
Investigations are, however, now being actively pursued 
in this and various other countries, and the fervent hope 
and ambition of all concerned is that a conclusion may, 
ere long, be formulated which will admit of no denial, 
and be accepted by all. 
The conclusions to be drawn from a review of the 
observations of the above-named investigators is that 
the organisms of Ferry, M‘Gowan, Torrey, Copeman (in 
view of his statement regarding the non-liquefaction 
of gelatin), Semmer, Laosson, Babes and Barzanesco 
have a marked similarity—at least morphologically, if 
