D. E. SALMON AND THEOBALD SMITH 
It has been previously determined that the subcutaneous it 
jection of .75 cc. (A dram) of a liquid culture of the swinl 
plague bacterium containing 1% of peptone was invariably fata 
in the majority of pigeons within twenty-four hours. One ha 
of this dose was fatal to a few only. 
As a preliminary experiment, four pigeons were inoculate 
December 24, 1885, with a liquid culture that had been lieate 
for two hours at 58°-60° C. Three of these (Nos. 10, 8, 9) r 
ceived subcutaneously .4, .8, and 1.5 cc. of the heated cultur 
respectively. The fourth (No. 7) received 1.5 cc. of the pui 
culture liquid, into which no microbes had been introduce* 
No. 9, the one which had received the largest dose, was evident] 
sick the next day, but slowly recovered. The others did n<j 
show any symptoms of illness. 
January 11, the one which had received a hypodermic injei 
tion of the simple culture liquid (No. 7), and the one which hi 
received the largest dose of heated virus (No. 9), received su 
cutaneously about .75 cc. each of a liquid culture five days ol 
which had been prepared from a potato culture 15 days old. 
is probable that this virus was not so strong, therefore, as a mo 
recent culture from the pig would have been. Both pigeons we 
sick on the following day. No. 7 died seven days after inoculatio 
The bacterium of swine plague was found abundantly in the pe 
toral muscle, in the spleen, kidneys, and liver in moderate nui 
bers.* The other pigeon (No. 9) slowly recovered, but In 
lost the use of its legs. It seemed perfectly well when killed, : 
days after inoculation. It was quite fat, the crop filled wi 
food. In the pectorals were found imbedded two elongati 
masses of dead tissue or sequestra about 2 cm. long and 1 cm. 
diameter, entirely separated from the surrounding tissue by 
dense, smooth membrane. In this animal the multiplication 
the pathogenic bacteria was purely local, the resistance of t 
♦In this animal the major part of both pectoral muscles appeared as 
they had been boiled; they were whitish, bloodless; the fibres could be eas 
broken and crushed with the forceps. The muscular tissue surrounding the d( 
portion was very dark, gorged with blood. The liver was dark in patch* 
spleen and kidney pale. 
