498 



Presents. 



With an absolutely new syringe, I inoculated — (1) a rat with a 

 very small quantity of the pus containing the bacilli and spores ; the 

 pus was taken from the capillary vaccine tube, and dissolved in a few 

 drops of distilled water ; (2) another rat was inoculated with the pus 

 in which there were no bacilli ; and (3) a rat was inoculated with 

 distilled water. 



The rat inoculated with the pus containing the bacilli was found 

 dead the third day after the inoculation, the other rats are still alive. 



In the tissues of the rat which died are numerous bacilli, which, on 

 cultivation, lengthen into spore-bearing filaments. 



I have not been able to detect any special lesions in the rats which 

 succumbed to the several inoculations. The right side of the heart is 

 engorged, and the subcutaneous tissue, especially around the seat of 

 inoculation and in the cervical region, is infiltrated with colourless 

 blood-corpuscles, but the alimentary tract and spleen retain their 

 normal appearances. 



My investigations have led me to conclude — (1.) That this disease 

 (which is considered by all the medical men in the district to be a 

 new disease) has been set up by an organism morphologically not 

 unlike B. anthracis and having the same life history, 



(2.) That the organism was introduced into the milk after it left 

 the udder of the cow. 



(3.) That the conditions in and around the dairy were such as 

 would give special organisms, conveyed to the dairy in the grains or 

 hay, every opportunity of developing and finding their way into the 

 water cisterns. In fact, the conditions were such that an innocuous 

 organism might easily have assumed noxious properties. 



Whether the washing of the milk cans with the infected water is 

 sufficient to account for the outbreak, I am not prepared to say; but 

 judging from the immense number of organisms in the milk of the 

 3rd April, compared with the milk of 6th April, in which there were 

 few if any organisms, I am inclined to believe that there must have 

 been other channels through which the milk was infected. 



Note. — I am indebted to Professor Stephenson for the opportunity 

 of experimenting with pus from one of the affected patients. 



Presents, June 16, 1881. 



Transactions. 



Amsterdam: — K. Zoologisch Genootschap (Natura Artis Magistra). 

 Catalogus der Bibliotheek. Royal 8vo. Amsterdam 1881. 



The Society. 



Baltimore : — Peabody Institute. Thirteenth Annual Report. 8vo. 

 Baltimore 1880. * The Institute. 



