PLEURO-PNEUMONIA or LUNG-PLAGUE, a con tagious disease peculiar to the bovine species generally affecting the lungs and pleura, producing a particular form of lobar or lobu lar pleuro-pneumonia, and, in the majority of cases, transmitted by the living diseased animal, or, exceptionally, by mediate contagion. Cattle and closely allied species are susceptible; other animals and man are immune. Inoculation of healthy cattle with the fluid from t he diseased lungs produces, after a certain interval, characteristic changes at the seat of inoculation, and though the inoculated ani mal does not develop the lung lesions always observed in natural infection, yet there is a local anatomical similarity or identity. In 1888 Arloing, of Lyons, described various bacilli obtained from the lesions of lung-plague. The cause is now held to be a polymor phic micro-organism capable of passing through ordinary bacterial filters. With a high magnification. coccal-like bodies, vibrios, short spirilla, branching and asteroid bodies, also mycelioid moulds may be seen. Fine mucin coverings are always present and for the latter reason the name Asterococcus mycoides was formu lated by Borrel.
The earliest notices of this disease testify that it first prevailed in Central Europe, and in the 18th century it was present in cer tain parts of Southern Germany, Switzerland and France, and had also appeared in upper Italy. In 1769 it was definitely de scribed as prevailing in Franche-Comte by the name of "murie." From that date down to 1789 it appears to have remained more or less limited to the Swiss mountains, the Jura, Dauphine and Vosges, Piedmont and upper Silesia; it showed itself in Cham pagne and Bourbonnais about the time of the Revolution, when its spread was greatly accelerated by the wars that followed. In the 19th century its diffusion was accurately determined. It invaded Prussia in 1802, and soon spread over north Germany. It was first described as existing in Russia in 1824; it reached Belgium in 1827, Holland in 1833, the United Kingdom in 1841, Sweden in 1847, Denmark in 1848, Finland in 185o, South Africa in 1854, the United States—Brooklyn in 1843, New Jersey in 1847, Brooklyn again in 185o, and Boston in 185o; it was also carried to Melbourne in 1858, and to New South Wales in 186o; New Zealand and Tasmania in 1864; and also into Asia Minor.
During the 20th century it has occurred in Asia, Africa, Australia, South America, Russia, Germany, France and Spain.
It has now been eradicated, or the incidence very much re duced, in most countries by compulsory slaughter and veterinary police measures. Great Britain has been free since 1898.
Willems of Hasselt (Belgium) 1852 introduced protective inoc ulation, employing lymph obtained from a diseased lung; since that date the protective value has been proved in the field. Not entirely free of danger, the method appears to confer a temporary immunity. The inoculation is made in the extremity of the tail. In France, Nocard and Roux have used as a vaccine, an eight days' old culture of the virus in Martin's broth. Injected in the same manner, the method has given good results. An anti-serum, capable of conferring a passive immunity, has also been prepared. The disease is scheduled in Great Britain under the Diseases of Animals Act. (A. R. S.)