636 
M. RENAULT ON THE 
With a view of throwing light on this interesting question, he 
wished to ascertain in what space of time after inoculation the 
virus, evidently very rapidly absorbed, entered the circulatory sys¬ 
tem and infected the mass of blood to that degree to impart to the 
fluid itself virulent properties. 
M. H. Bouley’s experiments, in conjunction with his own, had 
already informed him that transfusion into the veins of a healthy 
horse of the blood of one suffering from acute glanders, promptly 
communicated the disease. And, knowing this, he felt curious to 
learn, through experiment, at what period subsequent to inocula¬ 
tion with glandered matter—in other words, at what period of in¬ 
fection—the virus infects the blood with contagion. 
He made his first experiment quite early from the time of in¬ 
oculation. Of blood drawn from the jugular vein of a horse two 
hours after he had been inoculated 13| drachms (5 centilitres) 
were injected into the veins of a healthy horse. The latter conti¬ 
nued to enjoy excellent health up to the day of his being destroyed, 
which was the twenty-sixth after the operation. No lesion deno- 
tive of glanders was discovered. 
The same experiment was repeated on a sound horse, and the 
same quantity of blood taken four hours subsequent to inoculation 
with the matter of acute glanders. The result proved the same. 
2 .—Experiments on the Absorption of Sheep-pox Virus. 
These experiments were carefully made on twenty-two sheep : 
the virus used was fresh taken from pustules upon other sheep 
inoculated for the purpose; the lancet used was a canulated one; 
and the places inoculated were underneath the tail, and upon the 
inner side of the thigh. The cauterizations were made with an 
iron with a blunt point, at a vivid red heat, and every precaution 
was taken that not only the places to which the virus was imme¬ 
diately applied were cauterized, but also the surrounding parts as 
well. Indeed, in some of the experiments the skin was burnt 
throughout its substance. 
Eleven hours was the longest interval suffered to elapse before 
the cautery was applied; this was progressively shortened to 
ten hours and a half, nine hours, eight hours, seven hours, six 
hours, five hours, four hours, three hours, two hours, one hour; 
subsequently, to thirty-six minutes, thirty, twenty-five, twenty, 
fifteen, thirteen, twelve, ten, eight, and ultimately to five minutes 
after inoculation. 
In not one of these animals did cauterization of the inoculated 
part prevent or hinder the absorption of virus; a fact incontestably 
proved,— 
