FISTULOUS WITHERS, ETC. 893 
the. name of staphylococcus Epidermidis albus. One of its 
most important characteristics is that it is almost constantly 
present in the deeper layers of epidermis along the hair shafts. 
Hence we can understand why absolute disinfection of the skin 
is impossible, although for all practical purposes it may be ac¬ 
complished. To ascertain something of the existing condition 
in the horse’s skin, the following procedure was carried out : 
Subject was an aged sorrel horse. An area at the point of the 
shoulder was shaved, washed and then disinfected thoroughly 
with sublimate solution, and two sutures (<a and b) laid, leaving 
about one-half inch imbedded in the skin. The needles and su¬ 
ture material were sterilized by boiling, and throughout the whole 
operation the greatest precautions were taken to maintain strict 
asepsis. To complete these measures the sutures and parts in¬ 
cluded by them were coated with collodion to prevent infection 
along the track of the sutures from the outside. After remain- 
ing for 48 hours, during which time very little swelling and no 
evidence of suppuration, nor much soreness in the part were 
noticed, the sutures were removed, and the parts having been 
buried in the skin were dropped in tubes of bouillon. The 
suture was not much altered from its condition when put in ; 
was saturated to some extent with serum, but no sign of pus for¬ 
mation. Tube (0) remained sterile. Plate cultures from tube 
(b) developed white, orange and bright lemon-colored colonies 
of micrococci. 
Cultures were also made from the skin after having been 
thoroughly disinfected preparatory to castration. The whole 
inguinal region was washed with soap and water, then disin¬ 
fected with sublimate solution. After making the incision 
through the scrotum a little strip of skin from the edge of the 
wound was dropped in bouillon. Of seven cases studied, a 
white micrococcus was isolated from each case. The only dif¬ 
ference noted between this organism and that isolated from 
fistulous withers, poll-evil and open wounds generally, was that 
it was arranged singly and in pairs, chiefly, and not in clumps, 
as was often the case with the others. 
