120 LABORATORY BACTERIOLOGY 
VI 
THE DIAGNOSIS OF GLANDERS 
The laboratory diagnosis of glanders consists of several 
methods, one or more of which may be used according to the 
conditions. If the material is from a dead animal the methods 
are restricted to bacteriological and histological examinations 
of the tissues. If the material (nasal discharge or pus from 
abscess on skin) comes from the living animal there is the pos- 
sibility of making not only a bacteriological examination of 
this material but also of having blood taken from the horse for 
applying the two serum tests now recognized to be of value. 
The methods for diagnosing glanders, therefore, are 
1. Bacteriological (cultures). 
2. Guinea-pig inoculation. 
3. Agglutination test. 
4. Complement-fixation test. 
5. In the living horse mallein may be applied. 
The bacteriological method is described in Exercise XXVI. 
Animal inoculations. Male guinea pigs should be used. The 
material usually consists of the nasal discharge from the sus- 
pected glandered horse, or bits of scrapings from ulcers, or 
pieces of affected tissue. The inoculation is liable to be fol- 
lowed by a local swelling and an abscess. The first indication 
of glanders is usually orchitis. The lymphatic glands in the 
groin are also enlarged. After the orchitis becomes well marked 
the guinea pig may be chloroformed and examined. Pure cul- 
tures of the specific organism can be obtained from the suppur- 
ating focus of the testicle. The spleen is usually enlarged and 
sprinkled with grayish nodules. Other organs may be involved. 
Agglutination test. The method is as follows: 
Culture. As pointed out by Schiitz and Miessner all cultures 
of Bact. mailed do not agglutinate satisfactorily. It was also 
