An anti-tuberculous substance in tuberculous organs

Summary

A substance which inhibits tubercle bacilli has been demonstrated in bovine tuberculous lymphs nodes and in the spleen and liver of tuberculous guinea-pigs and rabbits.

Tubercle bacilli treated with these extracts for four days failed to produce lesions in guinea-pigs and failed to render the animals sensitive to tuberculin.

The organisms were not killed, however, since sub-inoculations of spleen and liver from these animals produced local lesions in three months.

If treated bacilli were washed with saline the protective action of the extract was removed.