ABSTRACTS AND REPORTS.

most gives rise to discrete granulations, localised to particular organs, and tending to a retrogressive fibroid transformation.

According to the importance to be attached to these differential characters one: may regard the human and avian bacilli as two distinct species or as two varieties of the same species, and to decide which of these views is the correct one is at the present time a matter of difficulty. The study of other microbes has shown that their form, their development in the various media of culture, their resistance, and their virulence are not at all fixed, and may be modified in many circumstances.

Meanwhile the following conclusions are warranted: Tuberculosis of fowls is transmissible to fowls; inoculation into the veins or into the peritoneum is followed by the development of a generalised and rapidly fatal tuberculosis.

The rabbit readily contracts avian tuberculosis; death follows in two or three months by generalisation of the infection.

The guinea-pig is more sensitive than the rabbit to human tuberculosis, but more resistant than the latter to tuberculosis of fowls; and after inoculation it is only exceptionally that a general infection is determined. In almost every instance the inoculated animals present no lesion at all, or only a local and curable one at the point of inoculation; or if there is produced a visceral tuberculosis, it is partial and discrete and tends to recovery.

EXPERIMENTS WITH TUBERCULIN ON CATTLE.

SINCE the publication of the last issue of this J oumal the following additional experiments with Koch's fluid have been reported.

I. At the Toulouse Veterinary College MM. Labat and Conte 1 have tried the effect of the lymph on one tuberculous cow. The animal was thirteen years old, and presented all the symptoms of tuberculosis, but tubercle bacilli could not be discovered in the nasal discharge, which was insignificant in amount. The quantity of tuberculin used for the first injection was 2

decigrammes, diluted with a gramme of a 5% (!) solution of carbolic acid. The mean temperature before the injection (taken twelve times) was 38'4° C. After the injection it immediately began to rise, and at the ninth hour it had reached 39'8°. From this point it gradually fell, and fourteen hours later it had again sunk to 38'4°. After thirty-six hours the cow received a second injection, this time of 4 dec.igrammes diluted as before. The temperature at the moment of injection was 38'4°, and it soon began to rise, reaching 40° after twelve hours; after other twelve hours it had fallen to 38'5°. The points of inoculation were painful, and presented a hot tumefaction as large as a pigeon's egg. During the fever the cow was dull and refused food. The autopsy revealed extensive tuberculous lesions in the thorax and abdomen, and the cOl\clusion drawn was, that Koch's lymph had provoked an important febrile reaction.

2. Von Bockum-Dolffs, 2 Director of the Slaughter-house in Schmalkalden, reports an experiment on one cow. The cow was nine years old, and the symptoms and· physical signs pointed to tuberculosis, principally of the abdominal organs. The dose of tuberculin used for the first injection was • 2 ccm. diluted with a I ° 1o solution of carbolic acid. The temperature at the time of injection was 38'8° C., and thereafter it was taken every two hours. It began to rise eight hours after the injection, and after twelve hours it had reached 39'8°. After other nine and-a-half hours it had fallen to 38'9°. Conclusion: "The occurrence of the fever was beyond any doubt ascribable to the tuberculin." On the following day the cow received a second

1 Revue V eMrinaire, April 18~1. 2 Thiermed. Rundschau, Apnl 1891.

174 ABSTRACTS AND REPORTS.

injection, this time of ·4 ccm. The temperature on this occasion rose to 39·7", fever set in as before, and the breathing was difficult. The cow was killed on the following day, and found to be extensively tuberculous, the lesions being present in both thorax and abdomen.

3. M. Arloing, at the instance of the Faculty of Medicine of Lyons, has carried out some experiments with tuberculin, and the general results have been published in the Journal de Ked. Vet. l These experiments have not shown that subjects free from tuberculosis are absolutely insensible to the action of tuberculin. On the contrary, that agent excited in two healthy animals a modification of temperature varying with the dose injected. With doses of 4-20 milligrammes the temperature rose from ·4 to ·S of a degree in one of the subjects, and even 1"2° in the other, five or six hours after the injection. When an interval of some days was allowed to elapse between the injections a sudden reaction was obtained, the temperature rising 1"4° to 1.9° within four hours after doses of 40-50 milligrammes. In one subject the most marked reaction was obtained with 40 milligrammes. It was also found that with very tuberculous cows the reaction obtained was not such as to remove all doubt. Thus, in an animal with pulmonary and peritoneal tuberculosis the elevation of temperature obtained with 30, 100, and 200

milligrammes was respectively 1·7, ·9, and ·4, although the injections were so timed as to prevent any accustoming of the system to the agent.

4. One of the largest and most carefully conducted series of experiments yet carried out is that by Dr Bang of the Copenhagen Veterinary CoIlege. 2

Altogether Dr Bang has tested the effect of tuberculin on twenty-two animals of the bovine species and six pigs, and the general result. is summed up as follows: Healthy animals are not notably affected by the subcutaneous injection of relatively large doses of Koch's medium, whereas tuberculous animals are affected by suitable doses in a simi1ar way to human beings. Some hours after the injection the body temperature begins to ascend, and remains high for, on an average, about twelve hours. Some of the experi­ments showed that the medium is a delicate reagent for tuberculosis in cattle, since the typical reaction was brought out in cases in which the disease was so slight as to be impossible of detection in any other way. Taking into consideration the number of animals experimented upon and the uniformity of the results, the conclusion appeared to be warranted that the fluid, as a rule, possesses diagnostic properties, and that any exceptions to this rule would probably be so rare as to be of no importance in practice. In one of Dr Bang's cases the lesions discovered at post-mortem raised some doubts as to whether the medium might not in advanced cases of tuberculosis intensify the disease, as Virchow had previously surmised to be sometimes the case in the human subject.

s. At the experimental station of the Munich Veterinary College, Professor Kitt 3 has made experiments which in his opinion cast some doubt on the diagnostic value of Koch's fluid for bovine tuberculosis. In the first experi­ment two animals were used, one a cow supposed to be free from tuber­culosis and the other a two-year-old ox suspected to be tuberculous. The cow received ·3 grm. of the fluid, and the bullock 0'2. On the following day the cow's temperature had risen to 39·3°, and this was the highest point reached. The temperature of the bullock was 40° immediately after the injection; on the following day it had fallen to 39·5°, and thereafter it fluctuated between 39" and 39"7". A few days later the same bullock received a second injection, this time of ·5 grm., but as before, no elevation of temperature or other clinical symptom of reaction set in. Both these animals were slaughtered, and the post-mortem revealed in the cow primary

1 Revue Veterinaire, :May 180l. .2 Berliner Thieral'zt. 'Vochen:schrift, and Veterinary Record, :rtfay 1891. 3 Wochenschl'ift fur Thierheilkunde und Viehzucht, APlil1891.

ABSTRACTS AND REPORTS. 175

tuberculosis of the bronchial glands, and in the bullock tuberculosis of the bronchial and mediastinal lymphatic glands and of the lungs.

In the second experiment the cow showed symptoms pointing to tubercu­losis; the average temperature was about 40° This cow received first '3 CCI11.

of tuberculin, but for the next three days the temperature remained at 40°. Six days later a second dose of I ccm. was injected, with the result that the temperature fell from 40'3° at the time of inoculation to 39'5°. After the lapse of other two days a third injection of's grm. was administered, the dose this time being 2 ccm.; and on the afternoon of the same day the tempera­ture had risen to 40'7", which by the following day had again fallen to 39'3°. Subsequently before this cow was killed she had two febrile attacks (-1-0'5° and 40'6°) independently of any injection of tuberculin. The post­mortem revealed wide-spread tuber,culous lesions in both thorax and abdomen.

In the third experiment three animals were used, viz., a bull and two cows, from a byre in which tuberculosis had long been prevalent. The bull showed no symptoms of disease and had a normal temperature of 39° ; one of the cows also appeared healthy, and had a temperature of 38-38'5° ; the other cow had a cough but no other indication of disease, and her temperature was 38'3-38'4°. Each of these three animals received '25 ccm. of tuberculin and the result was as follows :-The bull preserved the previous temperature-39", and when kllled a week later tuberculous lesions were found in the liver and periportal lymphatic glands. The first cow also exhibited no temperature reaction; and in the other the temperature on the second day after the injection had risen to 39°. Two days after the first injection these two cows received a second dose, this tim<; of I ccm, with the result that the tempera­ture in the first animal had risen on the following day to 39'3°, falling next day to 38'5°, and that the second animal preserved a uniform temperature of 39°. After an interval of nineteen days the first of these cows received 2 ccm. of tuberculin, the temperature at the time of injection being 38'5°. On the afternoon of the same day the temperature was 39'3°, half an hour later it was 39'2°, and next morning 38'6°. Beyond the variations in temperature mentioned these cows displayed no symptoms of reaction, The first cow was found on post-mortem examination to be the subject of chronic tuberculous broncho-pneumonia, chronic miliary tuberculosis of the pleura, and chronic tuberculosis of the liver. The other cow was afterwards used for experiments of another nature, and had not been killed at the date of the report.

In a fourth experiment a seven-rear-old cow, whose condition rendered it a matter of uncertainty whether she was the subject of tuberculosis or not, received I ccm. of a tuberculin. Previous to the injection the cow's temperature had been 37'8-38\ and at the moment of injection only 37'5°. In the afternoon of the same day the temperature had risen to 39 '3°, and at midnight it had fallen to 37°. This cow was killed five days later, and a careful search failed to bring to light any tuberculous lesions in the body,

Professor Kitt in reviewing the result of these experiments sums up unfavourably to tuberculin as an agent of diagnostic value, but he suggests that possibly better results might be obtained with an extract of tubercle bacllli derived from an animal of the bovine species.

6. Dr Lydtin"L has issued a preliminary report regarding some experiments made on cattle in Baden. For the purpose of the experiment 10 animals were selected with clinical signs pointing to their being markedly tuberculous, and 2 apparently healthy subjects were used as control animals, The animals were first kept under observation for some days, and then inoculated for the first time. In the suspected subjects the dose varied according to body weight from '2 to '5 grm. of tuberculin, and the control animals received the latter dose. After an interval of 9 days the animals were inoculated a second time, and after other 8 Jays a third time, the doses being slightly varied, Before

1 Thielu,l'ztliche l\httheilnngen, May 1891.

17 6 ABSTRACTS AND REPORTS.

the inoculation the temperature of many of the animals was a~ready febrile, and continued to be that during the whole course of the expenments. The average temperature was 38'4° to 39°, and temperatures over 39° were regarded as febrile, but nothing less than 40° was reckoned as a symptom of reaction. After the administration of tuberculin the temperature in most of the animals that reacted rose to 40,° and in many it reached over 41°. The elevation of temperature was always accompanied by other very prominent abnormal symptoms. In the animals that were not yet at an advanced stage of the disease a frequent symptom was strong but remittent rigors. In the severely affected animals great difficulty of breathing set in, and in some cases even suffocation was threatened Food and water was refused, and rumination was suspended. The non-reacting animals exhibited no symptom whatever.

Three or four days after the third injection the animals were slaughtered, and it was then discovered that 8 of the 12 animals were tuberculous; in all of these there had been observed a decided reaction; 3 of the animals were free from tuberculosis, and they had displayed no reaction; owing to an accident the result in the 12th animal had to be left out of account. The most distinct and certain reaction was manifested by the animals that were free from fever prior to injection.

In another experiment 4 animals destined for slaughter had their tempera­tures taken for 2 days; they were then inoculated, and after other 48 hours killed. Of these 4 animals, 2 that had reacted were found to be tuberculous, and the other 2, which had not reacted, were found to be suffering from disease of the lungs but free from tuberculosis.

In a third experiment 19 dairy cows were inoculated, each receiving '5 ccm. of tuberculin. All these animals were well nourished, milking well, and apparently perfectly healthy. No fewer than 9 of them displayed a reaction; 5 of these were afterwards killed and all of them were found to be tuberculous, although in three the disease was not extensive.

Needless to say. these results were regarded as very favourable and the experiments are being continued.

7. Dr Lothes,! Crefeld, has made a large number of experiments with Koch's fluid, both on single suspected cases of tuberculosis and on whole byres of cows. He finds, as regards the dose required, that '25-'3° of a gramme suffices for young cattle and small lean cows, and '35 for larger cows. In the first 12 cows inoculated the fluid was injected at the dewlap, but he found that notwithstanding the most careful previous disinfection of the skin very marked local reaction followed. In one case when the cow was killed 4 days after the injection about 40 lbs. of mUocle from the neck had to be condemned as unfit for human food owing to the inflammatory changes induced by the fluid. In later experiments the fluid was injected behind the shoulder, and here in general no local reaction occurred. The animals were of different ages, sex, and condition; some were pregnant, and some, as far as physical signs showed, were suffering: from non-tuberculous lung affections. As a rule the experimental animals were kept under observation for some days before the injection, and after that the temperature was taken every two hours. When any variation from the normal temperature set in, the observa­tions were continued until the latter was again normal. In the healthy animals the general condition was in no way influenced 'by the inoculation, and there was no observable change in the milk secretion.

In 3 fat non-tuberculous cows '35 gr. of tuberculin called forth the same variation of temperature as was produced in tuberculous animals, and this was combined with disturbance of the pulse and temperature. In these 3 cows the temperature rose from the normal (38'5-38'f) to 40'4°, 41'5°, and 41'8°, The skin at the seat of inoculation had previously been carefully

1 Berliner 'rhiel'arzthche -Wochenschl'ift, March ISm.

ABSTRACTS AND REPORTS.

cleansed and disinfected, and any possibility of the reaction having been due to some infection proceeding from the wound was excluded. These animals were carefully examined post-mortem, and ascertained to be free from tubercu­losis. A number of other fat cows also exhibited after inoculation an elevation of temperature, but not so great as in the three cases mentioned.

As regards the effect on tuberculous animals, the results obtained agreed with most of those previously published. Besides the temperature variation, an increase in the frequency of the pulse and respirations was observable in every case, but physical examination of the lungs never revealed any alteration. The effect on the milk secretion was very variable.

S. Gensert,1 Merseburg, has made some experiments, the results of which are not confirmatory of the view that tuberculin is a reliable diagnostic agent in bovine tuberculosis. He found that perfectly healthy animals exhibited the reaction regarded as characteristic. Out of a stock of about So cattle in which tuberculosis had occasionally showed itself, S animals were selected. The majority of these appeared healthy, but 2 or 3 were more or less unthrifty, or presented some symptom that might be ascribed to tuberculosis. Each animal was injected with ·5 ccm. of tuberculin, and in each a decided tem­perature reaction was obtained (4°.2-41 ·4°). The result was very unex­pected, for during the previous 10 years the proportion of animals in this stock found to be tuberculous after slaughter had not exceeded 4%. One of the S cattle (a bull) was killed two days after the inoculation, and found to be perfectly healthy. The other animals had not been killed at the date of the reporr.

YORKSHIRE VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.

THE Spring Quarterly Meeting of this Association was held at Leeds on the 24th April. After the transaction of private business and the exhibition of morbid specimens, the Association resumed the discussion on the question :-

Is THE FLESH OF Cows IN THE EARLY STAGES OF MILK-FEVER FIT FOR HUMAN FOOD?

The PRESIDENT (1fr TOOPE)~-You will remember that at the last meeting we had a discussion on this subject. Our friend, Dr Cameron, took a view on the matter opposed to our opinion, and with the opinion held by the majority of the members of our profession. He gave us a lengthy address in explaining his reasons why he considered this flesh was not fit for human food. I, myself, submitted that it was fit for food if the animal had been killed in the early stages of the disease. Having heard and also read Dr Cameron's remarks, I can only say he has not convinced me that I am wrong. I don't know that there is much further I can say on this matter, except to point out one thing which Dr Cameron drew particular attention to. That was as to who was to say when an animal was in the early stage, or in the later stage of milk-fever. I maintain milk-fever is entirely a misnomer. It is easily distinguishable from septic disease, and is absolutely distinct.

Mr. G. BOWMAN.-I am afraid I have very few remarks to make upon this subject, in addition to what I stated at the last meeting. In my opinion where a cow is killed whilst suffering from milk-fever, and the internal organs are healthy and the flesh firm and of a good colour, I see nothing to prevent it being used for human food. I don't see how it can possibly be injurious to anyone. It is due to no microbe or anything of that description. There can

1 BerlIner ThlerarztIiche "".. ochenschrift, l\Iarch IS01.