23. 511 produced, however, varies, within certain limits. Fresh or dried plague organs and tissues produce bubonic as well as intestinal plague.
In the case of fresh and dried tissues, however, intestinal plague is the rule and not the exception, and the same may be said in regard to cultures, specially sub-cultures.
The production of intestinal plague in these rodents is of importance from an epidemiological standpoint. As Klein states, it is not an uncommon occurrence for rats to die of plague in food stores, and it is possible that fodder may have been previously infected. Again, if rats die of plague in such stores, there is very good reason to believe that these stores may remain infected for some considerable period of time.
The existence of intestinal plague in rats, in nature, is most difficult to demonstrate. The results obtained up to the date of writing have failed to prove its presence, although there seems no reason why it should not...