362 PRINCIPLES OF VETERINARY SCIENCE 



A positive diagnosis is made by inoculating the suspect with 

 a small amount of mallein, either subcutaneously or into the 

 eye. Mallein is prepared by sterilizing cultures of B. mallei, 

 that have grown for about a month, by means of heat. The 

 dead culture is then passed through a fine filter and the filtrate 

 constitutes mallein. Tests on the blood-serum may be made 

 in doubtful cases to corroborate the diagnosis. Guinea pigs in- 

 jected with virulent material succumb in eight to ten days. 



Treatment. — This is never warranted, first, because few 

 recoveries follow, and, secondly, because once a horse becomes 

 infected he is a source of danger to others with which he comes 

 in contact, even after all visible symptoms of the disease have 

 disappeared; therefore, it is always advisable immediately to 

 destroy all affected animals. It is the duty of every person who 

 has reason to suspect glanders in any animal under his control 

 immediately to report the fact to the local board of health and 

 to the state veterinary officer. 



HEMORRHAGIC SEPTICEMIA 



Hemorrhagic septicemia is a communicable disease of cattle, 

 sheep, and swine that runs a short course and often ends in death. 

 In swine the affection is known as swine plague. The period of 

 incubation seems to be very short. The method of infection is 

 not known. 



Cause. — The causal organism stains at the poles, hence its 

 name Bacillus bipolaris septicus. Different types of the organ- 

 ism exist for animals of different species. The organism can be 

 isolated by inoculating rabbits with fresh tissues from animals 

 affected with the disease. As the organism dies soon after its 

 host dies, attempts to isolate it from any but strictly fresh 

 tissues fail. 



Symptoms. — Affected animals show one or more of the follow- 

 ing symptoms: refuse feed; exhibit a fever up to 107 °F. ; develop 

 swellings about the throat and brisket; have difficulty in breath- 

 ing. In the intestinal form the feces are bloody and the animals 

 may show colicky pains. The usual lesions found after death are : 

 swollen, injected lymph glands; hemorrhages beneath the skin 

 and within the walls of the intestines; bloody points under the 

 serous membranes of the heart, diaphragm and other organs. 



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