INFECTIOUS ABORTION IN CATTLE 201 
lesions in the uterine mucosa or fetal membranes that differ materially 
from those found in the affected uterus by Bang. Bang’s description 
of the lesions is as follows: 
“The external surface of the uterus was normal. The os uteri was 
firm’y closed and the cervical canal was filled with the normal thick 
mucus. After disinfection of the serous covering of the uterus by 
burning, I made a section through the uterine walls: when the mu- 
cous membrane was divided we saw between that and the fetal envelope 
an abundant odorless erudate—a dirty yellow, somewhat thin, pulta- 
ceous material of a slimy, somewhat lumpy character. At some places 
where the fluid constituents had run out the exudate was of a semi- 
solid nature; its reaction was alkaline. When it was allowed to 
stand in a glass it separated into two strata, namely, superiorly a 
reddish-yellow cloudy serum, and at the bottom a thick greyish-yellow 
precipitate. 
“On cutting through the chorion we saw under that a thin, clear, 
apparently gelatinous substance, with very fine membranes running 
through it: closer examination showed that this was the fine connec- 
tive tissue lying between the chorion and allantois, saturated with 
edematous exudates. This was present over the entire extent of the 
fetal envelopes and formed a layer one and one-half centimeters thick. 
The allantoic fluid was natural in appearance, thin, yellowish, and 
containing fine flocculi. Nothing abnormal was observable in connec- 
tion with the amniotic fluid. The umbilical cord was edematous. 
The size of the fetus and degree of development of the hair on it 
indicated an age of seven months. It was quite fresh and on section 
it showed no striking alteration. The pericardium contained a little 
reddish fluid; the intestinal mucous membrane was, perhaps, rather 
redder than ordinary; the spleen was in very slight degree swollen 
and the blood was fluid. 
“The examination of a cover-glass preparation made from the 
yellowish exudate and stained with Lceffler’s methylene blue im- 
mediately showed the presence of a very small bacterium, apparently 
in pure culture. This organism was present in very considerable 
numbers; many individuals lay free, but most striking were the large 
dense clumps of bacteria. Closer examination showed that these 
heaps were included within cells whose bodies were often in this way 
greatly distended. Sometimes the body of the cell was very indis- 
tinct, but as a rule one could still recognize external to the heap a part 
of the cell body and often also the cell nucleus. Not seldom the cell 
body had assumed a peculiar homogeneous appearance. 
