BACTERIUM OF SWINE PLAGUE 5 1 



contains from i to 2 per cent, glucose, the growth is slightly more 

 vigorous. 



Effect on sugars. — In the fermentation tube, alkaline bouillon con- 

 taining sugars become uniformly clouded in both branches. Gas is not 

 proiluced. In bouillon containing dextrose and saccharose the reaction 

 becomes strongly acid in 24 hours, but the reaction of alkaline bouillon 

 containing lactose is not changed. 



Milk. — Milk inoculated with this organism remains unchanged in 

 appearance for several weeks. When boiled, after this period, the 

 casein is not coagulated. 



Indol. — This organism grows feebly in Dunham's solution ; some 

 cultures have given a decided indol reaction, but others have not. The 

 production of indol is reported to be one of the properties of the German 

 swine plague. Smith* obtained only a trace of indol in one out of four 

 cultures of swine-plague bacteria. 



Phenol. — This was found by Lewandowski'st method in all of the 

 cultures tested by Smith. I have failed to obtain the reaction in a few 

 cultures, but usually it appears. 



Thermal death point. — This organism is destroyed in bouillon at 

 58° C. in ten minutes. A temperature of 56° C. for this time did not 

 destroy its vitalit}-. 



Effect of drying. — These bacteria can not stand drying. The bacteriam 

 in a drop of bouillon dried on a cover-glass and kept at the room tem- 

 perature are destroyed in 24 to 36 hours. In similar preparations made 

 from agar cultures they resist drying from five to eight days. The dif- 

 ference in the time between the two cultures is probably due to the 

 thicker layer in case of the agar preparations. 



Persistence of vitality in water and 50;'/.— Experiments to determine 

 the length of time this organism will live in water and in the soil show 

 that it is destroyed in water in test tubes in from nine to eleven days. 

 In the soil it was not found after eight days. Dr. Smith states that it is 

 destroyed in the soil after four days. 



Power to resist disinfectants.— T^e bacterium of swine plague is very 

 sensitive to the action of disinfectants. A large number of these agents 

 have been tested. The following are among the more important : 



Commercial sulphuric acid, yi per cent, kills in 30 minutes. 



Commercial sulphuric acid, '4 per cent, kills in 10 minutes. 



Lime, lime water kills in i minute. 



Lime, 0.015 per cent, kills in 30 minutes. 



Carbolic acid, % per cent, kills in 60 minutes. 



Carbolic acid, I per cent, kills in 5 minutes. 



Carbolic acid, 2 per cent, kills in I minute. 



*Special report on swine plague, 1891, p. S9. 

 tDeutsche med. Wochenschrift, 1890, s. 11S6. 



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