88 
INFECTIVE AND CONTAGIOUS DISEASES. 
what different, the principal being a dark-red, frothy, tenacious 
fluid in the subcutaneous tissue of the affected parts, also blood- 
exudation, resulting in a disorganised condition of the muscular 
tissues, which are of a dark-red colour and gangrenous. In 
serum from the diseased parts are few rods and spores. Yery 
large spores, resembling those of Bacillus anthracis , were obtained 
from the heart. The spleen also contained spores, many of them 
with portions of their filaments still attached. Some of the fluid 
from the spleen was introduced by inoculation into a guinea-pig. 
In twenty hours paralysis of the hind extremities occurred, and, 
later, emphysema of the subcutaneous tissues. On autopsy the 
subcutaneous serum from the diseased parts was found to contain 
ordinary Bacteria in a free motile condition; some were also 
obtained from the spleen. These displayed none of the charac¬ 
ters of the anthrax Bacillus; the blood from the heart contained 
neither Bacilli nor micrococci. Thus, though the clinical features 
of the original disease were reproduced, these differ from the 
results of inoculation either with anthrax or septic matter, for 
the conditions in this case are marked by putrefaction during 
life, while examination with the microscope shows Bacterium 
termo , and not Bacillus anthracis. This is the disease some¬ 
times known as “ emphysema infectiosum.” We are not yet in 
a position to decide its true position in relation to splenic fever. 
The lecturer drew particular attention to the following observa¬ 
tion made by him :—A white mouse was inoculated with quarter- 
evil matter; apparently it recovered from the immediate effects, 
but a week after swelling of the tail occurred, which assumed a 
gangrenous character, and extended to the trunk ; swelling of the 
abdomen occurred, with tumefaction and infiltration of the ab¬ 
dominal walls from accumulation of an opalescent fluid. Death 
resulted, and on examination, a few hours after, peculiar flagel¬ 
lated organisms (illustrated in a diagram), were noted in the 
peritoneal fluid. They were actively motile, and, with their 
flagella, not more than ten micro-millimetres in length, with 
bodies balloon-shaped, changing to a more elongated form, a 
central (probably contractile) vacuole, with four flagella anteriorly 
extending from a dark spot (probably an oral aperture), and two 
posteriorly placed. Dr. Lewis has described fusiform organisms 
with a cilium at each extremity, which he observed in the blood 
of rats. These, however, have more numerous processes, and it 
was thought they may have some pathological value, especially 
as careful examination of other fluids of the body and of the 
contents of the stomach and intestines failed to disclose any 
organisms of a like kind which might have gained accidental 
entry into the peritoneal fluid. 
The lecturer next passed to the Cape horse sickness and 
