258 
M. NOCARD. 
strong presumption that the calves suffered from the deleterious 
principles of the ergot secreted with the milk, and this view is 
corroborated by the absence of any results from any inoculations 
made with the morbid products of such cases. Had it been any 
septic or organized poison, there is a strong presumption that it 
would have perpetuated itself more or less in the inoculation 
wound. 
5th. It has been objected to the theory of ergotism that no 
other animals than cattle (and in one instance horses) suffered. 
The exemption of sheep, goats, and swine is accounted for, as al¬ 
ready explained, by their refusal of the ergot in the fodder. 
6th. It is further objected that in case of ergotism there 
should have been abortions in the pregnant cows. This is not a 
necessary result of ergotism, as in one country or time the ten¬ 
dency is to N a particular result—convulsions and paralysis, gan¬ 
grene or abortion—and not all three of these in the one herd or 
in one district. 
As we have seen above, however, the presence of an excess of 
ergot in the red-top hay of Illinois in the present year has been 
coincident with an unusual number of abortions in mares. 
{To be continued.) 
RESEARCH FOR THE BACILLUS OF KOCH 
IN THE EXPECTORATE OF PHTHISICY CATTLE. APPLICATION 
TO THE DIAGNOSIS IN DOUBTFUL CASES. 
By M. Nooard. 
The contagiousness of tuberculosis, for a long time suspected 
by certain practitioners, has been at length verified and estab¬ 
lished by the important experiments of Villemin, and, notwith¬ 
standing the somewhat fanciful interpretations given to some of 
the results of these experiments, it was rationally to be expected 
that one day or another tuberculosis would be assigned its natural 
position, and claim its place in the category of parasitical or mi- 
crobian diseases. The able and interesting discoveries of Dr. 
Koch have now justified this expectation. The microbe of tuber- 
