not in the other four fetuses; in the heart blood of the mother in pure culture in one case, but not in the other two cases. In all these tests the mother guinea pig was killed by chloroform soon after the abortion had occurred.

From the results of these tests we have concluded that the bacillus isolated by us from aborting cows is identical with that isolated by Bang and by Nowak. Further, the investigations of Bang, Preisz, Nowak, McFadyean and Stockman, and Zwick, seem to justify the acceptance of this organism as the infectious agent in the contagious abortion of cattle.

The principles of bacteriological nomenclature have not as yet been universally adopted, and most of the investigators quoted in this paper have avoided the use of a specific name for the abortion bacillus. Bang himself seems not to have given it a binomial designation, but he repeatedly employed the term "Abortusbacillus" as a specific term. Chester (1901) has named the organism "Bacterium abortivum" with the synonym "Bacillus of contagious abortion in cows, Bang." Preisz (1902) suggested the name "Corynebacterium abortus endemici (s. infectiousi)." This generic name Corynebacterium appears to be incorrect, as the organism is very different from those to which this name has been previously applied. It would seem best to employ the more general term Bacillus (or Bacterium) as a confessedly temporary generic name until a more definite generic nomenclature of bacteria shall have been developed and generally adopted. In determining the specific name it would seem that the term "Abortusbacillus" employed by its discoverer as early as 1907 should receive first consideration. We[1] have therefore suggested the name Bacillus (or Bacterium) abortus, Bang, for this organism. The term "abortus," being in the genitive case, may be employed with either generic term.

FOOTNOTE:

RESTRICTION AND ERADICATION OF THE DISEASE

Reliable methods for restricting the spread of contagious abortion and for eradicating it from a herd may be expected as the result of more complete and accurate knowledge of the nature of the disease and its mode of spread. Some of these methods, such as that of artificial immunization, are being tested experimentally by the Departmental Committee appointed by the British Board of Agriculture and Fisheries to inquire into Epizoötic Abortion. Until these methods have been developed beyond the experimental stage, the older more or less empirical methods will have to be relied upon. Fortunately these older methods can now be subjected to careful scrutiny in the light of modern knowledge of the disease, and they have been studied in this way by the British Committee mentioned above. The following summary has been copied, with only slight abridgment and very few alterations, from the report of this Committee.

"The methods which have been relied upon in the past for the prevention of abortion and its eradication from a herd are:—

(1) Periodical spraying of the external genital organs and hind quarters with disinfectant solutions.

(2) Isolation of animals as soon as they show the premonitory signs of abortion.

(3) Internal administration of carbolic acid to animals supposed to be infected or exposed to infection.

(4) Irrigation of the genital organs of animals which have aborted with antiseptic solutions.

(5) Removal and disposal of animals which have aborted.

(6)