CONTAGIO US PUSTULOUS DERMATITIS 545 



toms were the same as those of English variola. Hering has 

 reported this case under the name of tuber culo-contagious eruption. 



Etiolog-y. The disease is communicated to healthy animals 

 through the intermediary of grooming utensils, blankets, girths, 

 and harness ; tlue extent of the affected surface often corresponds 

 exactly to that of blanket, saddle, girth, etc. This mode of de- 

 velopment explains why the shoulder and chest are regions but 

 seldom attacked, except in a case mentioned by Giel. The con- 

 tagion has been recognized by Axe, who also suspected its micro- 

 bian nature. In the pus and scabs of the invaded regions, Schin- 

 delka has constantly found small micrococci which readily absorbed 

 aniline colors ; Siedamgrotzky has detected these in the shape of 

 diplococci. 



Pustulous dermatitis has been transmitted experimentally upon 

 the horse, goat, and rabbit. In rabbits and guinea-pigs, Siedam- 

 grotzky has seen malignant œdema and septicemia develop after 

 inoculation. 



Dieckerhoff and Grawitz, who have given to English variola 

 the name of contagious acne, have been able quite recently to obtain 

 conclusive results from pure cultures of the bacterium (acne bacil- 

 lus). It is a micro-organism of very small dimensions ; its length 

 is about half that of the bacillus of tuberculosis (about 2 ^) ; it is 

 divided by segmentation into ovoid or round corpuscles, which 

 gather in twos or fours to form diplococci or small chains ; they 

 become very rapidly colored by a watery solution of fuchsine. 



In cultures (serum) this bacillus gives characteristic colonies ; its 

 most rapid development takes place at 37° ; it is killed by a tem- 

 perature of from 80° to 90° lasting for half an hour. If pre- 

 served in a dry condition it remains virulent for at least four 

 weeks. It does not produce any putrid decomposition. , 



Friction with a few drops of water containing this micro-organ- 

 ism, made upon any portion of the horse's skin, is sufficient to 

 determine the manifestation of the specific exanthema. Inoculation 

 is also successful in the ox, sheep, dog, and rabbit. The guinea-pig 

 is killed in forty-eight hours by friction made upon the skin moist- 

 ened with the culture ; we observe the symptoms and lesions of 

 septic intoxication. Subcutaneous injections produce pyemic acci- 

 dents in the white mouse. 



Symptoms. After an incubating period of six to fifteen days 

 (Schindelka), circumscribed efflorescences are formed on the con- 



35 



