MISCELLANEOUS INFECTIONS 245 



L,oeffler, who investigated diphtheria of calves for the 

 German Imperial Board of Health, believes that the specific 

 cause of the disease is a bacillus, and not a micrococcus, as 

 Dammann assumed. He found on the edges of the necrotic 

 tissue large long bacteria which formed undulating threads, 

 and which differed entirely from the bacterium of diphtheria of 

 man. Ritter confirmed the observations of Loeffler. On the 

 other hand, Kitt regards the cause of diphtheria of calves to 

 be the bacillus of necrosis. 



Swine suffer from a diphtheritic necrosis of the upper por- 

 tions of the digestive canal and air passages. Johne seems to 

 have been the first to point out the diphtheritic character of 

 this necrosis. He was not able to demonstrate its cause 

 although the bacillus of necrosis was found on the mucous 

 membranes. Swine suffering from hog cholera frequently have 

 areas of necrosis in the gums, tongue and other parts of the 

 mouth. 



Kitt believes that there occurs sporadically an independent 

 diphtheria of pigs which has no connection with swine fever. 

 He believes its cause is the bacillus of necrosis, which occurs 

 also in diphtheria in calves. The mucous membrane of the 

 tongue, cheeks, pharynx and stomach shows yellow-white, 

 caseous deposits ; and that of the small intestine and colon, 

 diphtheritic necrosis. 



The bacterium (bacillus) of necrosis has been found to be 

 pathogenic for many species of animals. Mohler (/Vo. Am. 

 Vet. Med. Asso., 1905, p. 181) has pointed out the extent of the 

 pathological activities of this organism in cattle, sheep, goats, 

 antelope, several varieties of deer, horses, asses, hogs, kan- 

 garoos, dogs, chickens, pigeons, rabbits, guinea pigs and mice. 

 The extent and variety of the lesions it produces have sug- 

 gested the term necrobacillosis for the lesions it initiates. 



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