RECENT METHODS FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF GLANDERS. 
155 
well as to preserve the fluid, it has been found advisable to add 
2 per cent, carbolic acid. Moore, Taylor and Giltner (3) and 
several others have published valuable literature on this subject. 
Normal blood serum possesses this agglutinating power in low 
dilutions. In certain cases the reaction is even noted in dilu¬ 
tions of 1/800 or higher. Usually, however, such serum is inac¬ 
tive in dilutions higher than 1/500. This property is greatly in¬ 
creased in an infected animal. 
A series of dilutions in the proportions of 1/200, 1/500, 
1/800, 1/1,000 and 1/1,200 were prepared in our tests. The 
test tubes containing the mixture of blood serum from the sus¬ 
pect and the glanders suspension were incubated at 37 0 C. for 
twenty-four to thirty hours. At the end of this time the reaction, 
if present, was well marked. 
By the term reaction is understood a gradual clearing of the 
previously clouded fluid, due to an agglutination of the suspended 
bacilli and their consequent settling to the bottom of the test tube. 
In the lower dilutions the clearing is absolute, and the sediment 
completely covers the bottom of the test tube, under certain con¬ 
ditions being so heavy as to roll up at the sides. I11 the higher 
dilutions the clearing may be only partial to be positive. All con¬ 
trol tubes should remain uniformly turbid. 
The accompanying table gives a very good illustration of the 
results of the test upon the horses in question. The greater num¬ 
ber gave the reaction in the 1/200 dilution, some in the 1/500 
dilution, and two in the 1/800 dilution. Variations in the agglu¬ 
tinating power of the blood may occur within narrow limits in 
the healthy horse. If variations are marked the animal should be 
considered suspicious. All horses which gave a reaction in the 
1/1,000 dilution proved to be glandered by other tests. Conse¬ 
quently such animals should be considered diseased and imme¬ 
diately quarantined or destroyed. 
Case No. 2, although in the last stage of glanders, did not 
give the reaction in the 1/1,200 dilution. This may be accounted 
for by the fact that serum drawn at this stage of the disease 
