183
Observations on Sheep.
Experiment No. 1.
Animal-One sheep.
October 16th, 1904.-The animal had been kept under observation for several days. It was normal in every respect. To-day, on the death of an acute œdema- tous case of Beri-beri, the spleen was removed as soon as possible, and used for this experiment. The sheep was thoroughly scarified over the abdominal wall which had previously been shaved and rendered as aseptic as possible. After the scarification the cut surface of the spleen was well rubbed into the scars over the scarified area.
Cctober 17th, 1904.-To-day the animal is quite well and feeds an:l func- tionates as other normal sheep.
October 18th, 1904.--Another scarification was done to-day, the cut surface of the spleen of a pig (Expt. No. IV) was well rubbed into the abdominal wall.
October 19th, 190.-The temperature rose to-day (v. chart.)
October 20th 1904. Pustulation over the area of vaccination has occurred, which accounted for presence of the fever: this lasted, with a gradual deferves cence, for nearly 14 days.
During this time the animal became much emaciated. It took but little food, but there was no diarrhoea. The urine was norinal and an examination (bacterio- logical) of the blood gave a negative result as regards organisms. There was some apparent weakness of the hind limbs: the animal walked with seeming difficulty, and there was a tendency to lock on the part of the posterior limbs, during for- ward progression. There also seemed to be some wasting of the muscles of the hind limbs. There was no dena or evidence of discomfort on pressure over the epigastric area.
This weakness and difficulty in walking we do not ascribe to actual nerve degeneration, and consequently Beri-beri in nature. The animal lost such a consider- able amount of weight, and the emaciation was so extreme that in our opinion this difficulty in walking was the result of weakness only. The inability to progress normally disappeared entirely after the animal regained its weight and strength and the temperature became normal.
November 7th, 1904.-The animal's temperature has now been normal for at least a week. The weakness of the hind limbs has now all disappeared, and the sheep moves as other normal sheep. It cats well and has no trace of diarrhoea.
To-day a subcutaneous inoculation was made. 60 c.c. of the contents of the flask used for Expt. XI (Blood in Beri-beri) was injected subcutaneously under the skin of the neck.
November 13th, 1904.-The result of the inoculation was a rise in tem- perature, lasting with gradual lysis, about 6 days. The animal again refused food, became somewhat thinner. There was no diarrhoea however, and no œdema or epigastric tenderness. The inoculation was not followed by any return of the apparent partial paralysis of the posterior extremities. A bacteriological examina- tion of the bloo I gave a negative result as regards organisms. From this time onwards the temperature remained normal and the animal behaved in every way like any other normal sheep.
At the present time, November, 1905, the animal is alive and well, never hav- ing shewn any sign of Beri-beri.
Experiment No. II.
Animal-One sheep.
The conditions of this experiment were similar in every respect to those
of Experiment No. I.