514 
VERANUS A. MOORE. 
1. A streptococcus which I have been unable to differentiate 
from a streptococcus often found as the apparent cause of peri¬ 
tonitis following castration, and in septic pneumonia following 
other operations. 
2. A micrococcus which grows in clumps and forms almost 
milk white colonies on agar plates. This organism has fre¬ 
quently been isolated from cases of fistulous withers. It was 
not pathogenic for the experimental animals. This micrococcus 
is very similar to the one isolated from the human skin by 
Robb and Ghriskey. 
3. Micrococcus pyogenes aureus .—This differs very little from 
the one described from man. It has frequently been found in 
closed abscesses (botryomycosis ?) apparently as the exciting 
cause. 
It was suggested from our earlier investigations that these 
three species of skin bacteria were the essential ones* against 
which skin disinfectants should be more especially directed. 
Their almost constant appearance in a considerable variety of 
lesions of a probable wound infection origin gave strength to 
such a conclusion. Accordingly, our inquiries were continued 
in a series of examinations made with different disinfectants for 
the purpose of finding if possible the most efficient agents for 
this purpose. Here, again, our results are but partial, as a num¬ 
ber of substances reported as reliable skin disinfectants have as 
yet not been tried. 
The method followed was to make bacteriological examina- 
tions of the skin of horses, either those to be operated upon or to 
be used for dissection. In all, ten cases may be included, in 
which nine disinfectant solutions were employed on as many 
different areas, with one untreated area as a check. In prepar¬ 
ing the field for operation the hair was clipped, the skin 
scrubbed with soap and water, closely shaven and washed again 
with sterile water, after which the disinfecting solution was ap¬ 
plied and allowed to act for from eight to ten minutes. Pieces 
* The bacilli of tetanus, malignant oedema, and anthrax are not considered here in 
this connection. 
