192 APPLIED BACTERIOLOGY 



into contact with some slight traumatic injury. In the 

 horse, when the disease affects the skin, it is termed ' farcy.' 

 The discharge either from the nostrils or from ulcers con- 

 tains comparatively few bacilli, and these are accompanied 

 by large numbers of pyogenic organisms, so that it is not 

 easy to demonstrate the bacillus either by staining or by 

 culture. 



It is said to be easy to obtain a pure culture by Strauss's 

 method (quoted by Sternberg). He recommends the in- 

 jection of the suspected discharge into the abdominal 

 cavity of a male guinea-pig. If the Bacillus mallei is 

 present, the scrotum will be red and shining after three 

 days ; and when suppuration takes place later, the pus 

 will be found to contain the glanders bacillus in pure 

 culture. 



The Diagnosis of Glanders. — In 1890 Helman and Kalning, 

 working independently of each other, with the view of 

 providing a curative and immunising material, discovered 

 certain effects of extracts of the bacillus on animals affected 

 with glanders, which subsequent experimentation has proved 

 to be of the utmost service in diagnosis. In this country 

 a liquid glycerine extract, prepared after the manner of 

 Koch's 'tuberculin,' is sold under the name of 'mallein.' The 

 London County Council has recognised its value, and en- 

 couraged its use by their veterinary inspectors. It is stated 

 that in the case of one large horse-owning company, in 

 which glanders has been known to exist, the Council has 

 entered into an arrangement to pay full value compensa- 

 tion for any horse which has reacted to mallein, and which, 

 on being killed, yields no evidence of glanders. 



When an affected animal is tested with this reagent, 

 a decided rise of temperature takes place, and a swelling 

 follows at the seat of inoculation. The swelling is of more 

 importance diagnostically than the rise of temperature, 



