Reports on the diseases of cattle in the United States, made to the Commissioner of Agriculture, with accompanying documents / Department of Agriculture.

  • United States. Department of Agriculture.
Date:
1869
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reports on the diseases of cattle in the United States, made to the Commissioner of Agriculture, with accompanying documents / Department of Agriculture. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    179/192 (page 179)
    Series T.—Examinations of rlood and secretions from cattle AFFECTED WITH CONTAGIOUS PLEURO PNEUMONIA. A COW four years old died with the usual symptoms of pleuro-pueu- mouia, near Washiug-tou, ou the 10th day of February, 1809. Examiu- atiou made twenty minutes after death. The lungs were stuffed ivith exudation, and the pleural cavity contained a quantity of timbid, very fetiil liquid, which, under the microscope, appeared full of actively mov- ing monads and bacteria. ISTo communication was found between the lung and the pleural cavity, but it is not positive that such did not exist. The blood, under a magnifying power of twelve hundred diameters, pre- sented no abnormal appearance. Yacuum tubes were filled with the blood, and specimens of the pleural fluid and of the bile were also pre- served. The latter presented no unusual appearance under the micro- scope. Experiment 1, February 10, 18G9.—Three six-ounce isolation-flasks were prepared; an ounce of ToiuTelot’s extract of beef placed in each, boiled five minutes, and allowed to cool to 90° Fahrenheit. To the fii-st were added tlie contents of one of the vacuum tubes from the cow above referred to j to the second that of a tube of blood from a healthy cow; to the third, nothing. The flasks were then placed in a water bath, and kept at a temperature of 85° Fahrenheit. On the 14th ' of February the flasks were opened. 17o. 1 contained large numbers of motionless bacteria, single and in pairs. FTo. 2 contained a very few of ' the same. 27o. 3 contained none. The flasks were kept one week longer, at the end of which time there was no change from the apiiearances i above mentioned. Experiment 2, February 10, 1869.—Six watch-glasses were arranged .as follows: Yo. 1 contained pulp of fresh lemon and pleuro-pneumouic 'blood. Jfo. 2 contained pulp of fi?esh potato and plenro-pnenmonic blood. Yo. 3 contained pulp of fresh lemon and healthy blood. No. 4 contained pulp of fresh potato and healthy blood. No. 5 contained pulp of fre.sh lemon alone. No. 6 contained pulp of fresh potato alone. All the watch-glasses were idaced in a culture apiiaratus, which was kept at 80^ Fahrenheit in a water bath. February 14th a beautiful •growth of aspergillus glaucus (Lk.) and penicillium glancnm (Fr.) appeared on watch -glass Nos. 1,2,3, .1, and 6; most profusely on Nos. 1 and 3. Watch- .glass No. 4 contained nothing. Experiment 3, February 10, 1869.—Six watch-glasses were arranged: three with pulp of lemon, and three with potato. To four of them a few drops of the pleural liquid were added. They were ])laced in the culture ai)]»aratus, and in four days aspergillus and penicillium were in fniit in all. hjxperiment 4, February 10,1869.—This wms a dujfficate of experiment 1, with the excej)tion that bile was msed instead of blood. At the end