314 GLANDERS 



Experimental Inoculation. — In horses, subcutaneous injection 

 of the glanders bacillus in pure culture reproduces all the 

 important features of the disease. This fact was established at 

 a comparatively early date by Loffler and Schutz, who, after one 

 doubtful experiment, successfully inoculated two horses in this 

 way, the cultures used having been grown for several generations 

 outside the body. All the features of the disease were repro- 

 duced. The ass is even more susceptible than the horse, the 

 disease in the former running a more rapid course, but with 

 similar lesions. The ass can be readily infected by simple scari- 

 fication and inoculation with glanders secretion, etc. (Nocard). 



Of small animals, field-mice and guinea-pigs are the most 

 susceptible; on the other hand, house-mice and white mice 

 enjoy an almost complete immunity. In field-mice, subcutaneous 

 inoculation is followed by a very rapid disease, usually leading 

 to death within eight days, the organisms becoming generalised 

 and producing numerous minute nodules, especially in the spleen, 

 lungs, and liver. In the guinea-pig the disease is less acute. 

 At the site of inoculation an inflammatory swelling -forms, which 

 soon softens an'd breaks down, leading to the formation of an 

 irregular crateriform ulcer with indurated margins. The lym- 

 phatic vessels become infiltrated, and the corresponding lymphatic 

 glands become enlarged to the size of peas or small nuts, softened, 

 and semi-purulent. The animal sometimes dies in two or three 

 weeks, sometimes not for a longer period. Secondary nodules, 

 in varying numbers in different cases, may be present in the 

 spleen, lungs, bones, nasal mucous membrane, testicles, etc. ; 

 in some cases a few nodules are found in the spleen alone. 

 Intraperitoneal injection in the male guinea-pig Ls followed, as 

 pointed out by Straus, by a very rapid and semi- purulent 

 affection of the tunica vaginalis, shown during life by great 

 swelling and redness of the testicles, which changes may be 

 noticeable in two or three days, or even earlier. This method 

 of inoculation has been found of service for purposes of cultiva- 

 tion and diagnosis. Rabbits are less susceptible than guinea- 

 pigs, and the effect of subcutaneous inoculation is somewhat 

 uncertain. Accidental inoculation of the human subject with 

 pure cultures of the bacillus has in more than one instance 

 been followed by the acute form of the disease and a fatal 

 result. 



Mayer has found that when the glanders bacillus is injected along 

 with melted butter into the peritoneum of a guinea-pig, it shows 

 filamentous, branching, and club-shaped forms ; in other words, it 

 presents the characters of a, streptothrix. Lubarsch, on the other hand, 



