V. R. RAJAGOPALAN and V. R. GOPALAKRISHNAN       233

                                        DISCUSSION

From the cultural and biochemical characters of the organism coupled
with its serological affinity to C. equi and pathogenicity to young foals, there
remains no doubt the organism under consideration is a strain of C. equi.

This is the first time that the organism has been recorded in a species
other than equine. It was isolated from the uterus of a she-buffalo that
had aborted. Following abortion there was a foetid purulent slimy discharge
from the uterus and the organism was obtained from this discharge. The
only other organism that was grown besides C . equi was a coliform organism
and the question naturally arises why the latter should not be held as the
cause of the condition. It is true that certain strains of coliform organisms
are capable of causing inflammatory conditions of the urinogenital tract
of man and animals. Such strains are highly virulent for the guinea-pig
and mice, causing, on fresh isolation, by intraperitoneal inoculation, a suppura-
tive or purulent peritonitis or a fatal septicaemia. But in this case, guinea-
pigs and mice that had received intraperitoneal injections of the material
developed no illness, and on destruction revealed no pyogenic lesions. It
would appear, therefore, that the coliform organism was a banal organism
devoid of pathogenic properties. There is, therefore, the probability that
the pyogenic lesions met with in the buffalo were due to the other organism
isolated namely C. equi. This organism is non-pathogenic to laboratory
animals, which fact should explain why the guinea-pigs and mice inoculated
with the purulent material from the buffalo containing the diphtheroid deve-
loped no lesions.

But the mere isolation of an organism from lesions does not definitely
establish it as the pathogen. Lesions similar to those in the buffalo could
not be induced in a pregnant cow by the intravaginal instillation of the isolated
organism. Owing to lack of pregnant buffaloes, the pathogenicity of the
organism to the species from which it was isolated could not be tried under
experimental conditions. It has not been possible, therefore, to advance
experimental evidence definitely incriminating this organism as the cause
of either post-abortion purulent metritis or of abortion although the cir-
cumstances of the case under report are strongly suggestive of its being the
cause of one or both. However, irrespective of its pathogenic significance,
the mere occurrence, in the buffalo, of Corynebacterium equi, an organism
which has so far been naturally met with exclusively in the equine species,
is of sufficient interest and is deserving of report.

                                             SUMMARY

Corynebacterium equi has been recognised by several workers as a cause
of pneumonia in young equines. It has not so far been recognised as occurring
in any other species of animals. Its occurrence in pyometra following abortion
in a she-buffalo is, therefore, recorded in this article. Its identity with Cory-
nebacterium equi has been proved by morphological, cultural, biochemical,