146 



White Scours of Sucklings. 



Occurrence. The disease which with the development of 

 intensive agriculture always attains greater extension, occurs 

 especially in the spring and in the fall, while in winter and 

 summer it is more rarely observed. Calves become affected 

 most frequently. Sometimes, however, the disease also occurs 

 among foals, lambs and pigs (very rarely also among dogs 



and cats). It causes 

 considerable loss due 

 to its contagious na- 

 ture as well as by its 

 destructive course in 

 the affected herds. 

 Occasionally all the 

 young of an entire 

 year succumb to this 

 malady, which more- 

 over frequently reap- 

 pears in an infected 

 stable during the con- 

 secutive periods of 

 parturition. 

 Etiology. Up to the present time white 

 scours has been studied bacteriologically very 

 extensively, and according to the uniform results 

 of these studies the disease was in most cases 

 caused by the bacillus coli communis, or by one 

 of its several virulent varieties (Jensen, Poels, 

 Joest, Bongert, Titze & Weichel). 



The bacillus coli communis is a small rela- 

 tively thick rod-shaped or slightly oval bac- 

 terium (Fig. 32). It is motile (one, two or more 

 flagella), does not form spores, and stains uni- Fig. 33. Gelatin 

 formly with aqueous anilin dyes ; does not stain the Ba^Jto^cofi 

 by Gram's method. communis. 



Fig. 32. Bacillus coli communis 

 Agar culture ; fuchsin staining 



Cultivation. The bacillus is aerobic. In the depth of gelatin it 

 produces round or whetstone-shaped, brownish colonies which spread 

 more on the surface of the media. They are first transparent, later 

 white, veined like grape leaves, and irregular. Along the stab the 

 colonies are white and small and the medium does not liquefy (Fig. 33). 

 On agar it forms gray transparent, later white, colonies. The bouillon 

 becomes uniformly cloudy. On potatoes a grayish, later yellowish- 

 brown, thick deposit forms. Milk is acidified and coagulated. The 

 bacillus causes the formation of indol and hydrogen sulphide as a 

 result of which the cultures have a disagreeable odor. In media con- 

 taining sugar the organism causes an alcoholic fermentation, but colon 

 bacilli of different origin show in this respect marked differences, 

 which are even more pronounced relative to their virulence. 



The colon bacillus is almost a constant inhabitant of the intestinal 

 canal of most animals and of man. In guinea pigs and chickens, how- 

 ever, it is usually absent. 



