ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
353 
Mallein and the Bacillus of Glanders.* — According to Dr. J. A. 
Bonome, the bacillus of glanders is disseminated by the secreta and 
excreta of the diseased organs, and also by the urine and milk of 
glandered animals. It is also transmitted through the placenta to the 
foetus. It is extremely sensitive to drying, but is relatively resistant 
to high temperatures. In sterile water it dies in six days. The addi- 
tion of cadaverin culture (1 : 40,000-60,000) leads to its degeneration. 
On the blood-serum of glandered horses it does not thrive, but short 
thick granular forms appear, which are to be regarded as resting forms. 
On ox-blood serum the behaviour is the same, though this has even 
some curative effect. The blood-serum of malleinised dogs is a poor 
medium, as the bacilli degenerate within 24 hours. From experiments 
with mallein on 30 horses suspected of glanders, the author concluded 
that its diagnostic value was not absolute, as unglandered horses will 
exhibit the reaction, and conversely glandered ones may fail to show it. 
Mallein in small injection doses (2-4 drops in 1 com. H 2 0) appears to 
possess some slight therapeutic value, as a satisfactory termination to 
a case of human glanders is recorded, though with glandered guinea-pigs 
the results were negative. 
According to Herren Fr. Hutyra and H. Preisz | a rise of tempera- 
ture of 1°*5 or over is positively indicative of glanders, the local and 
general symptoms being less important. Other diseases do not give 
the mallein reaction, hence in mallein there exists a most important 
diagnostic criterion. 
Herr Oemler’s J experience of mallein agrees with the foregoing* 
Out of 43 horses 6 gave the reaction; all were glandered. 
Herr Schiitz § records a series of 52 cases of suspected glanders 
injected with mallein. In 15 the mallein reaction occurred, a rise of 
temperature of 1°*5 or over, and a gradual decline. In 7 a rise of 1° 
to 1°*4, and in 30 a trivial rise, or none at all. Post-mortem examina- 
tion showed that none of the 52 horses were glandered. 
Another set of 6 horses suspected of glanders were injected with 
mallein in doses varying from 0 • 5-0 * 3 ccm., according to age. The 
temperature rose in 5 cases from 1°*5 to 3°, the sixth did not react at all. 
Four horses were killed, and not one was glandered. The author there- 
fore concludes that the mallein reaction is not a proof of glanders. 
Herr Preusse || believes that perfectly healthy horses exhibit the 
mallein reaction, possibly owing to the decomposition of the mallein or 
to the injection not having been performed with proper care. The tem- 
perature should rise to at least 1°’5, usually over, and the declination of 
the temperature curve should be more gradual than its ascension. 
Swelling at the injection site is not a characteristic sign. 
From numerous experiments made with mallein Herren E. Semmer 
and A. Wladimirow^f conclude that in horses suspected of glanders but 
unaffected with any other disease, a rise of temperature of 1° * 5 to 3°, 
* La Biforma Med., 1894, pp. 172-4, Nos. 120-2. 
t Deutsche Zeitschr. f. Tiermed. u. vergleich. Pathol., xx. (1894) pp. 369 et seq. 
f Hygienische Kundschau, iv. 1894, p. 179. 
§ Arch. f. Wiss. u. Prakt. Tiermed., xx. (1894) pp. 448-69. 
11 Berlin Tierarztl. Wochenschr., 1894, No. 51. 
Arch. Sci. Biol. Inst. Imp. de Med. Exp. St. Petersbourg, i. p. 745. See 
Centralbl., f. Bakteriol.u. Parasiteuk. (l e Abt.) xvii. (1895) pp. 338-46. 
1895 2 A 
