GENERAL ARTICLES. 221

organism, but one wh ich does not develop pathogenic properties until the body resistance is lowered.

In four of the cases staphylococci occurred so numerously on direct microscopic and cultural examination as to lead one to assurne that they were the actual cause of the condition. In one case colon organisms were apparently the cause, no other organism being evident either microscopically or culturally; and in three other cases they occurred so numerously on direct microscopic examination that their etiological significance cannot be excluded.

AsIender Gram-positive bacillus belonging to the h.emophilic group of organisms was apparently the actual cause in six cases, and it was present in enormous numbers and in pure culture in three of these. Although tubes were incubated for six days no growth of this organism was detected except in media containing serum.

CONCLUSIONS.

Although in this paper only twenty cases are recorded, they serve to show:-

(I) That organisms, other than streptococci and staphylococci, may be a cause of mastitis.

(2) That much work yet remains to be done in connection with mastitis, especially in regard to the pathogenic properties of streptococci.

ABORTION IN CATTLE CAUSED BY VIBRIO FETUS.

By A. T. R. MATTICK, B.Sc.

National Institute for Research in Dairying, U niversity College, Reading.

A Case 0/ Abortion accompanied by Vibrio Fetus.

IN the Report (Part III., Appendix, D.) of the Departmental Com­mittee of the Ministry of Agriculture on Epizootic Abortion, London, 19I3, mention is made of the occurrence of four cases of spontaneous abortion in cattle in Wales, in which Bang's bacillus could not be found, but spirilla were isolated from the fcetuses in pure culture. Abortion ascribed to organisms of this type is weil known in sheep, and the Report inclines to the opinion that infection of cattle may result from sheep by contagion, particularly from sheep-infected pastures.

Since these observations were made (191 I), little or no reference to contagious abortion due to organisms other than Bang's bacillus seems to have been made in England.

In America, however, Theobald Smith (" Journal of Experimental Medicine," Vol. 28, 1918), has described numerous cases of abortion in which Bang's bacillus could not be found, but in which vibrios in pure culture were isolated from the fcetus, and mixed as a rule with other organisms, from the cotyledons. Theobald Smith claims to

Q

222 GENERAL ARTICLES.

have e~tablished that the vibrio, named by hirn Vibrio fetus, is the .etiological factor in these cases of abortion, a fact which might be expected from the findings of the English Departmental Committee quoted above.

The attention of the writer was directed to this question by the occurrence on the farm of the National Institute for Research in Dairying of a case of abortion in a three-year-old cow. She was served on 18th November 1924, and aborted on Ist May 1925. The fcetus and membranes were removed by a veterinary surgeon after signs of premature parturition had appeared. The fcetus was hair­less except for the lips and eyelids, and appeared to be normally developed. Some of the cotyledons, however, were obviously abnor­mal and showed small yellowish areas. Bang's bacillus was suspected of being the cause of abortion, and attempts were made by the usual methods to cultivate this organism. Cultures were made from scrap­ings of the cotyledons and from the contents of the fcetal stornach within fifteen minutes of the rem oval of the fcetus.

A blood sam pIe was at once taken from the jugular vein of the cow for test by agglutination for Bang's bacillus. The test proved to be negative. After incubation for seventy-two hours, and finally for ten days, no trace of Bang's bacillus was found in any of the cultures. However, after staining preparations made from the small translucent colonies which appeared on the surface of some of the culture media (dextrose agar and Lceffier's blood serum) by Gram's method, it was found that Gram-negative vibrios were present in pure culture in preparations made from the contents of the fcetal stornach, and accompanied by other organisms in those made from the cotyledon~.

Morphologically and culturally this organism exactly resembles that described by M'Fadyean and Stockman in the report quoted above and later by Theobald Smith, and it is presumed, in the absence of Bang's bacillus, to have been the cause of abortion in this case. The organism was a vibrio of from one to two windings and was about 1'81'- in diameter in young cultllres. Older cultures of from seven to ten days showed very much longer forms, resembling spiroch.etes. Both the long and short forms were found to be flagellated, usually with unipolar, but occasionally with bipolar, flagella. The colonies on nlltrient agar were about the size of a pin head, quite transparent and uncoloured. Good growth took place in the original cultures, probably becallse of the presence of some of the stornach contents of the fa:'tus. Subsequent cultures were difficult to obtain, but ordinary nutrient agar slopes with a few drops of bovine serum and normal saline added gave growth in about seven days.

In view of the fact that many cases of abortion in wh ich a blood test has failed to show agglutination of Bang's bacillus are reported as probably non-contagious, it appears to be necessary to consider the possible extent of abortion due to Vibrio fetus.

In the case under discussion the cow was in her second gestation period and had passed the tuberculin test on two occasions. The fact that no sheep have been kept on the farm for five years suggests either that the organism must be (I) capable of sustained sapropytic

EDITORIAL ARTICLE. 223

existenee or able to live in the animal body without necessarily producing the disease; and (2) capable of being introduced into the herd by cattle bought in, as was the ease with the eow under dis­eussion. It may, however, be a specific disease of eattle and not necessarily passed by sheep to cattle.

The effeetiveness of inoculation against abortion caused by Bang's bacillus may of course be lessened, or even in some areas negatived, if it is found that this form of abortion is widespread in England.

One other case of aborti on has been reeorded in the herd, the fretus being, however, seven and a half to eigh): months old. A blood test for Bang's bacillus made five and a half months after abortion proved to be negative. No opportunity occurred for making cultures from the fretus. The general health of the herd is excellent, all the cows having passed the tubereuIin test.

This note is published partly to drawattention to the possibility of the presenee of this type of abortion in England, and partly in the hope that those interested will submit material from doubtful eases to the author, who is anxious to study the problem and establish, if possible, its extent.

E D I TOR I A L ART I C L E. --0--

TUBERCULIN TESTING.

IN our previous number we devoted an article to tuberculin testing, with special reference to the Report of the Committee appointed by the Medieal Research Coundl, and we return to the subject here mainly because of a letter which we have received from Mr Wilfred Buekley, who was a member of the Committee and is the owner of one of the herds (Moundsmere Manor) referred to in the Report.

In this letter Mr Buckley asks us to point out that the results reeorded in his herd have been seeured not by the subcutaneous test, as was inferred in our article, but by the subcutaneous and ophthalmie tests. He further wishes to protest strongly against the statement that his herd was originally badly infected with tuberculosis, and states that when he eame to Moundsmere in 1908 it consisted of four eows which he had tested with negative result, and that from that day to this no animal has joined the herd without first passing the tubereuIin test, and being retested at the end of three months, and thereafter annually or semi-annually.

We aceept both of these eorrections, and regret that we were mistaken in supposing that his herd had originally been badly infected with tuberculosis, and that its freedom from the disease had been seeured by the use of the subeutaneous test alone.