266 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



and i few rods of bacterium termo. From this result it becomes a7i in- 

 teresting question to learn if these various organisms really existed in 

 the peritoneal liquid at the time of the animal's slaughter, or if they 

 were introduced from the atmosphere during the necessary manipula- 

 tions for tilling and sealing the vacuum tubes. In other words, is it 

 possible for septic bacteria, in diseases which produce lesions of the in- 

 testines, to penetrate the walls of these organs and multiply in the peri- 

 toneal effusion before the death of the animal? In a former report 

 j Annual Report Department of Agriculture, 1880, p, 432), I have col- 

 lected a number of observations which seem to answer this question in 

 the affirmative. Fortuuately in the case under consideration examina- 

 tions were made which furnish satisfactory evidence that there were 

 various forms of bacterial organism in the fluid of the peritoneal cavity 

 before the death of the animal. Preparations were made by thoroughly 

 drying this fluid on cover-glasses as soon as the abdominal cavity was 

 opened, and in these, of course, there could be no change before exami- 

 nation. Such preparations stained and mounted demonstrate conclu- 

 sively that while the micrococci predominated, there were also present 

 a considerable number of bacilli. These observations, which were made 

 with the greatest precautions to avoid errors, go •far to reconcile the 

 discrepancies which have appeared to exist in the results of the various 

 investigations of this disease. 



Cover-glass preparations of blood from the jugular presented no deli- 

 nite bacterial forms even after staining. Cultures of this blood re- 

 mained perfectly sterile. 



The pericardial effusion contained large numbers of micrococci, easily 

 seen both in unstained and stained preparations. Cultivations gave 

 pure growths of micrococci. 



The blood from right ventricle showed aggregations of micrococci, 

 and cultures of this blood produced a pure growth of the same organ- 

 ism. 



Sections of the c.ecal ulcer contained enormous aggregations of mi- 

 crococci in the depths of the cavity; the necrotic portion appeared to 

 consist almost entirely of these bodies. In some sections small colonies 

 of micrococci were found in the deeper parts of the tissue. Xo rods 

 could be found even in sections stained with fuchsine, a stain which 

 Klein used in his investigations. 



In sections of the spleen, stained in various ways, no organism could 

 be detected. 



Sections of the most congested mesenteric gland revealed no* organ- 

 isms within the gland tissue, but the peritoneal surface and its serous 

 covering were studded with micrococci, interspersed with which might 

 be seen a considerable number of large and small rods. 



Pig Xo. 39 was inoculated July 17, and was slaughtered August 11, 

 being at that time very severely affected, and presenting well-marked 

 symptoms of swine plague. The mesenteric vessels were congested, as 

 were those about the ileo-ca'cal valve, but there were no ulcerations at 

 this point. The lungs were pale, but contained a number of dark-col- 

 ored congested patches. There was no pleural effusion ; the pericardial 

 cavity contained a considerable amount of liquid, and there was aiso 

 slight peritoneal effusion. 



Cultures of the pericardial fluid gave a pure growth of micrococci. 

 The vacuum tubes, filled with peritoneal fluid, were preserved until 

 September 2, and were then found to contain large numbers of micro- 

 cocci, but no other organisms. 



