1911.] Cultivating the Mycobacterium enteritidis, etc. 519 



In North America, the first case was described by Pearson in Pennsylvania, 

 in 1908, and since then it has been recognised by Beebe (25), of Minnesota, 

 and others. 



In 1906 B. Bang (37), of Copenhagen, demonstrated the disease, and showed 

 microscopic preparations of the diseased gut and glands before the National 

 Veterinary Association at Liverpool ; he suggested that many cases of 

 chronic diarrhoea ascribed to various intestinal strongyles were really due 

 to Johne's bacillus, and predicted that the disease would be found in Great 

 Britain, as he had in his own experience found it in tubercle-free cattle 

 imported from Jersey. 



In 1907 McFadyean (19) described cases in this country occurring among 

 Shorthorn, Sussex, and Jersey cattle, and, later, observed one case in a deer. 

 In 1909 Stockman, whilst investigating a disease of sheep in Scotland, 

 known locally as " Scrapy " or " Scrapie," found acid-fast bacilli in lesions 

 corresponding to those of Johne's disease. Previous to this, in 1907, 

 Lienaux attempted to inoculate the disease in sheep, but was apparently 

 unsuccessful. 



In 1909, in the Report of the United States Bureau of Animal Industry, 

 mention is made by Dr. J. Mohler of an attempt to cultivate the bacillus of 

 Johne's disease from specimens received from California, but it is clear from 

 the details given that the specific bacillus was not grown. 



Many attempts have been made to produce this disease experimentally 

 in cattle and in the usual laboratory animals. As far as can be ascertained, 

 in no animal, except cattle, has inoculation proved successful. Meissner and 

 Trapp (34) state that they have only been able to produce the disease in 

 calves. This they have done, as also has B. Bang, by intravenous and 

 intraperitoneal inoculation of large quantities of infected material, and also 

 by feeding calves with considerable quantities (1 to 3 lbs.) of the mucous 

 membranes of the intestines of cattle dying from this disease. Experiments 

 of a similar nature on mice, guinea-pigs, rabbits, sheep, and goats have all 

 proved negative. In many instances the results have caused confusion, 

 since the material used has been taken from animals also suffering from 

 tuberculosis, and this strengthened the theory that the condition was a 

 form of tuberculosis affecting the bowels and surrounding lymphatic glands, 

 but showing no tendency to caseation. B. Bang, by feeding a calf with 

 300 grm. of affected material, found that the animal showed signs of diarrhoea 

 in eight months, and this evidence of the long period of incubation has been 

 supported by other observers. 



All writers on this disease state that the causative micro-organism cannot 

 be cultivated outside the animal body. Meissner (33), however, obtained on 



2 Q 2 



