SLANDERS. 267 



the swellings at the points of inoculation had ulcerated, and were dis- 

 charging an opaque, greenish-yellow fluid. On the twelfth day an ulcer 

 about the size of a shilling appeared on the skin of the forehead ; its margins 

 were thickened, and it was so deep that it extended down to the bone ; 

 there was a discharge from both nostrils, at the margins of which it dried 

 into thin yellow crusts or scales ; then small ulcers with indurated and 

 thickened margins appeared on the nasal mucous membrane in both 

 animals ; in fact there were here all the characteristic features usually associ- 

 ated with glanders. These two animals died within twenty-four hours of 

 each other, and typical glanders lesions were found in the tissues after 

 death. Guinea-pigs inoculated with material from these cases exhibited 

 similar characteristic symptoms and lesions ; they died in from fifteen to 

 fifty days, and on post-mortem examination it was found that the 

 characteristic macro- and microscopic appearances were present in all of 

 the lesions. 



In the study of the specific infective diseases, it has been 

 found that certain animals are especially susceptible to 

 one specific virus, whilst others are but little affected, and 

 that in the case of a second virus, things may be exactly 

 reversed — the non-susceptible animal remaining entirely 

 immune, or, in place of a constitutional disease being set up, 

 only small local lesions making their appearance. It is 

 therefore necessary for experimental purposes to determine 

 in all cases what small and easily-kept animals are susceptible 

 to a given disease, and what are unaffected or are only 

 slightly affected by the virus of that disease. 



In the special case of glanders it is a matter of veiy great importance, 

 from the diagnostic point of view, that the guinea-pig is very susceptible to 

 the disease, the natural virus or pure cultivations of the glanders bacillus 

 setting up a typical disease which eventually brings about the death of 

 the animal. Similar inoculations into a rabbit produce merely a slight 

 rise of temperature, some local irritation accompanied by swelling, and per- 

 haps by slight ulceration, without any further constitutional or general 

 symptoms. Having found that this is the case as regards these two ani- 

 mals where the inoculations are made from animals that are undoubtedly 

 glandered, it is evident that in a doubtful case of glanders, strong proof for 

 or against the specific nature of the disease may be obtained by inoculatmg 

 rabbits and guinea-pigs with material from the doubtful sources ; if the 

 guinea-pig dies with characteristic symptoms, and the lesions remain local 

 in the rabbit, there is strong presumptive evidence (it might almost be 

 said, definite evidence) that the suspected case is one of glanders 



In connection with this immunity (complete or partial) or 

 susceptibility of different animals to this disease, it should be 

 pointed out that the human subject may be inoculated either 

 through wounds or scratches or through the application of 



