668 Farcy of Cattle. 



more recent times, however, it has become more rare, while it has as 

 yet never been observed in other parts of Europe. On the other hand 

 it is a common and malignant disease in Guadeloupe and on Moritz 

 Island. Its etiology was cleared up by Nocard, while Maillet furnished 

 an accurate description of the clinical symptoms. It is evidently the 

 same disease that Holmes observed in oxen in Calcutta. 



Etiology. The cause of the disease is a streptothrix (Str. 

 farcinica), the branching filaments of which are readily stained 

 by Weigert's method, but do not stain according to Gram. 

 They thrive in artificial media in the presence of air at a tem- 

 perature between 30 and 40° C. On agar or on coagulated blood 

 serum, yellowish white finely granular colonies appear which 

 coalesce and form a membrane; on potatoes the colonies are 

 dry, crumpled, and pale yellow in color ; in bouillon white gran- 

 ules appear in the depths of the medium, and membranes resem- 

 bling congealed drops of fat form on the surface of the fluid. 



Pathogenicity. In guinea pigs. the subcutaneous injection 

 of a pure culture is followed by a purulent inflammation of the 

 lymph vessels and glands, in the course of which the purulent 

 foci become ulcerous. After evacuation of the purulent con- 

 tents the animals which have in the meantime become much 

 emaciated, gradually recover. Intraperitoneal infection is fol- 

 lowed by the development of numerous tubercle-like nodules in 

 the peritoneum, while intravenous infection causes similar 

 changes in the parenchymatous organs. Injection of pure 

 cultures into the circulation of cattle or sheep produces similar 

 results, while infection of superficial wounds of the skin pro- 

 duces chronic lymphangitis. 



Natural infection probably takes place by the entrance of 

 secretions containing streptothrices into superficial wounds of 

 healthy animals. 



Symptoms. The morbid changes almost invariably de- 

 velop on the extremities and especially on the median surface, 

 where firm, painless strands and nodes are to be noted along 

 the course of the superficial veins. Subsequently these nodes 

 become soft and fluctuating and when incised discharge a whit- 

 ish, odorless mass resembling soft cheese; local healing fol- 

 lows within 5 or 6 days. In exceptional cases these abscesses 

 may break spontaneously, but as a rule they remain intact, 

 becoming firm and hard and consisting of white or grayish 

 tough lardaceous connective tissue. The regional lymph glands 

 become enlarged and form firm, painful tumors. 



The disease progresses for 12 to 18 months without neces- 

 sarily disturbing the general condition of the animal to any 

 serious extent. Affected animals do not even get lame but are 

 exhausted by work. In the later stages, however, gradual 

 emaciation is observed, which finally terminates in extreme 

 cachexia. 



