496 
W. L. WILLIAMS. 
which the newly generated organisms are capable of attaining 
the same degree of development and maturity as the initial 
invading entity, and hence becomes capable of transplantation 
to other analogous organisms. In other words, if glanders 
bacilli are introduced into the living tissues of a soliped not 
previously rendered immune, and they multiply and the new 
organisms attain the same development as that possessed by 
the bacilli constituting the initial inoculation, then these new 
bacilli must be equally capable of transplantation with the old, 
and hence under the present meaning of contagion glanders 
is contagious. 
During the discussion of Prof. Schwartzkopff’s paper on 
meat inspection he says: ‘‘As to the question of actinomycosis, 
as I said before, theoretically it is not contagious. . . . I| 
do not believe it is contagious, and I base my opinion on my 
own experience as well as my theoretical studies in handling 
cattle in the Berlin slaughter-houses.” The basis of Prof. 
Schwartzkopff’s conclusions seems to your chairman some¬ 
what vague. 
We fail to comprehend how in ordinary routine work in a 
Berlin slaughter-house, a disease can be classified as conta¬ 
gious or non-contagious. He has not given us any data from 
his theoretical or practical knowledge of the disease which 
throws the least light or reason upon his conclusions. 
Your chairman,in union with most veterinarians through¬ 
out the. world, believes it is contagious, and predicate our be¬ 
lief upon the following facts, which will probably be admitted 
by Prof. Schwartzkopff: (Am. Vet. Rev. Vol. XIV, p. 495)- 
1 st. Bacteriologists, so far as we can learn, universally 
agree that the micro-organisms found in actinomycosis at 
lungs, lymphatics, liver, bowels, muscles, etc., of lower ani¬ 
mals and man are all identical with the reproduction of the 
actinomyces found upon various forms of vegetable food, 
that in these groups of actinomyces in the affected animal 
body are to be found micro-organisms identical in morphology, 
maturity, vitality and reproductive power with the actinomy¬ 
ces found on plants. 
2d. It is universally agreed that actinomycosis is due tc 
