12 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. IX, No. i 
Another fact which merits consideration in this connection was de¬ 
rived from tests with newly born calves. A number of calves produced 
by cows with infected udders were killed immediately after they were 
born and their bodies tested for the presence of abortion bacilli through 
guinea-pig inoculation methods. These calves were not permitted to 
come into contact with their mothers or other sources of infection that 
would tend to introduce germs into their bodies not present at the 
moment of completed parturition. It was found that such calves— 
those that were delivered alive and seemingly vigorous and healthy— 
may harbor abortion bacilli in their stomachs and gastrohepatic lymph 
glands; but invariably, when the calves were infected, the afterbirth 
and the uteri of their dams were also infected. In aborted fetuses the 
stomachs, intestines, lymph glands, spleens, livers, blood, and sub¬ 
cutaneous extravasations of serum may contain abortion bacilli. 
EXPERIMENTAL INFECTION INTRODUCED THROUGH TEAT 
One record of the injection of abortion bacilli into the udder of a cow, 
through the teat without trauma, is particularly interesting. The cow 
was well advanced in pregnancy and, according to all tests that could 
be made, was free from abortion disease prior to the injection. This 
record is given in detail because it is very instructive and also illustrates 
the laborious application the investigation of abortion disease requires. 
In this connection it may be observed that in this work the writers have 
used the agglutination test rather than the complement-fixation test for 
abortion disease. The reason for this is that the writers are convinced 
that the agglutination test for this disease is fully as reliable as the 
complement-fixation test, but far less complex; hence, in the hands of 
those who have many and varied duties, it is more reliable. 
RECORD OR COW 1154 
'September 9, 1914. Received at the experiment station from an abortion-free herd. 
About 8 years old. Was negative to all tests for abortion disease and was carefully 
protected against exposure to infection. 
August 21, 1915. Served by bull 1150 and conceived. The bull was received at 
the station on the same day on which the cow was received, and was and is now neg¬ 
ative to all tests for abortion disease, and has been carefully protected against exposure 
to infection. 
December xo, 1915. Agglutination tests with blood serum from the cow and the 
bull were made. Negative in both cases. 
March 27, 1916. Agglutination tests with blood serum from the cow and the bull 
were made. Negative in both cases. 
March 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 1916. Material was obtained on each day from the udder 
of the cow and injected into guinea pigs. The guinea pigs were subsequently killed 
and examined post mortem and found to be free from lesions of the kind caused in 
guinea pigs by abortion bacilli; in fact, they had remained perfectly healthy and 
showed no lesions of any kind. 
April 3, 1916. The growth on two culture tubes of abortion bacilli was scraped 
off and suspended in 30 c. c. of sterile normal salt solution and injected into 
