1908 ] Bacteriologic Study of the Blank Cartridge 
25 
abundant growth of this organism in four out of five experiments. 
The following table gives the proportinn in which B. aerogenes 
capsidatus was found in wads of the different makes : 
Wads examined 
B. A. C. 
Per cent. 
Peters .32 caliber 
54 
32 
50.9 
Peters .22 caliber 
50 
21 
• • • • 
U. M. C. .32 
7 
7.0 
U. M. C. .22 
50 
0 
.... 
Winchester .22 caliber. 
47 
6 
12.7 
250 
( B ) Powder. — Cultures from the powder of 101 cartridges were 
usually serile. Neither B. tetani nor B. aerogenes capsvlalus was 
isolated. 
INOCULATION OF ANIMALS 
At the suggestion of Prof. William H. Welch, the rat was used 
as being probably the animal most susceptible to tetanus. 
To give B. tetani , if present, the most favorable environment 
possible, use was made of two procedures, the second one of which 
; has not been employed in similar investigations. The first is 
inoculation of fresh hematoma, which increases greatly the 
chances of growth of B. tetani. As to the second one, Vaillard 
and Rouget established that “tetanus spores when free from toxin 
are innocuous when not accompanied by another bacterium, unless 
protected from phagocytes.” Twelve white rats were inoculated 
I under strict asceptic precautions with wads from the Peters Co. 
i 82 caliber cartridges. In addition, a loop of a pure aerobic cul- 
ture was added, in six an attenuated Staphylococcus pyogenes 
aureus and in the remaining six B. coli communis. The skin was 
then closed by a stitch and covered with celloidin. 
Nine of these rats died in convulsions, the tenth quietly, while 
the other two survived. The incubation period varied from sixty 
to seventy hours. The character of the convulsions differed from 
that usually described for animals. The first symptom was a 
marked spastic condition of the inoculated leg, which was held 
in extreme flexion, explained by the laceration of the extensor 
muscles. Gradually this spastic state extended to the whole 
body, so that the animal would retain its distorted shape in any 
position. In all, there was emprosthotonos, in two associated 
with pleurothotonos. The forelegs were held closely against the 
abdomen and the non -inoculated leg in extension. At short, ir- 
