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B.--SUBCUTANEOUS INOCULATION WITH BERI-BERI BLOOD.
Experiment No. I.
Animal-One rabbit.
Similar to the experiments on monkeys.
The animal was kept under observation for a few days, its general health and temperature being noted. An examination of the blood revealed nothing abnormal.
As
On September 29th, 1904.—The rabbit was injected subcutaneously under aseptic conditions with 10 c.c. of venous blood of an acute cace of Beri-beri. a result of this no change was observed in the condition of the animal. Its blood was examined and proved negative to organisms as before. The animal continued well until October 3, 1904, i.c., for six days after the inoculation, when it con- tracted severe diarrhoea and its temperature rose rapidly (v. Temperature Chart). It died on October 10th, 1904, ten days after the commencement of the experiment.
Post-mortem examination.-Acute follicular enteritis. No changes charact- eristic of Beri-beri. Stomach and duodenum norinal. Spleen smears and cultures negative.
Experiment No. II.
Animal-One rabbit.
Previous to the commencement of the experiment the animal was kept under observation and was found to be normal in every respect.
October 11th, 1904.-To-day the animal was inoculated subcutaneously with 5 c.c. of freshly drawn venous blood taken from an acute case of oedematous Beri- beri.
October 12th. 1904.-There is slight fever to-day, the result of the inoculation of the blood. The animal is otherwise well, has no diarrhoea, and moves about freely. (v. Chart).
tion.
October 14th, 1904.-The fever has disappeared.
October 19th, 1904.-The animal is well and shews no signs of any indisposi
There is no evidence of the onset of Beri-beri.
October 20th, 1904.--To-day the animal developed pneumonia with all the accompanying symptoms.
October 23rd, 1904.--It died this evening.
October 24th, 1904.-l'ost-mortem.-Typical double pneumonia. No evid- ance of Beri-beri. Pneumo-cocci and strepto-cocci found in lungs. No organisms is spleen.
Feeding Experiment.
Aninal-One rabbit,
After the preliminary measures in regard to experimentation had been taken, the animal was fed (November 1st, 1904) with an emulsion of boiled rice and the broken down spleen pulp obtained from a fatal case of Beri-beri. The spleen was extracted from the cadaver within two hours after death and the animal was at once fed.
Subsequently the rabbit was kept isolated and observed daily.
The experiment was negative after three months. No sign of Beri-beri was ever noted.