222 
Jordan and Harris have isolated a micro-organism from the tissues 
and body fluids of animals suffering from trembles, which they have 
called “5. lactimorhiy The following is a brief abstract of their 
descrij)tion of the bacterium : 
The organism is a motile rod, and appropriate staining demon- 
strates the presence of flagella. Spores are found under certain con- 
ditions. On an agar slant the growth is smooth, grayish, glossy, 
without pigment formation. There is a turbidity of broth at the 
end of twenty- four hours, and later a pellicle forms, which falls when 
the tube is agitated. Litmus milk is at first rendered alkaline, later 
it turns dirty- white, and finally may become opalescent. Xo multi- 
plication occurred on potato. On Lofflers blood serum there is a 
smooth, yellowish growth. Gelatin is slowly liquefied. 
The nonsporulating cultures are killed by an exposure of five min- 
utes to a temperature of 55° C., while the spore-bearing cultures are 
destroyed at 100° C. maintained for fifteen minutes. The disease 
has been reproduced in a rabbit by the inoculation of blood from an 
infected animal. Feeding experiments have shown that the dog and 
the calf may be infected with the organism, which may in turn be 
recovered from their tissues after death. These observers report 
having isolated the organism from several naturally infected cows 
and from one naturally infected horse, and Doctor Jordan informs 
me in a personal communication that they have also isolated it from 
a man and from sheep. 
It would apjDear from this work that another of the diseases, the 
cause of which has long been shrouded in doubt and mystery, has at 
last yielded its secret to laboratory investigation. 
Milk cows seldom show any symptoms so long as they are regularly 
milked, even though they are secreting milk fatal to man and to other 
animals; in a herd the steers and heifers always show symptoms 
before the cows that are giving milk. Buttermilk is generally re- 
garded as harmless. Graff thought differently, however. 
Apparently not all are equally susceptible, as it has frequently 
been noted that of several persons who partake of the poisonous milk 
or meat, some may escape, while others, usually the majority, will 
contract the disease. 
A recent outbreak which I have investigated had some of the con- 
ditions of an experiment on human beings. The record, unfortu- 
nately, is based entirely upon nonprofessional observation, but is, I 
believe, fairly accurate. In brief, it is as follows : Seven persons par- 
took of a meal, 6 of whom used milk and butter and became ill with 
characteristic symptoms of milk sickness and subsequently died. The 
only person who escaped was a woman who never used either milk or 
butter. One of the 6 was a guest and had only this one meal in this 
house. This individual sickened on the day after partaking of that 
