In order to detect the distribution of leptospires in Hokkaido, the authors investigated the kidneys of 13 stray dogs in Sapporo and isolated one strain. In serological tests, three of twelve sera exhibited positive agglitination-lysis and all the three reacted to "Utrecht IV" at a dilution of more than 1:10, 000. The newly isolated strain was named the Sapporo 14, which was identified as L. canicola from the result of Schuffner-Bohlander's absorption test. The results of the present study indicate serologically and etiologically that leptospirosis exists among dogs in Hokkaido. This finding disapproves one of the opinions denying the etiological role of leptospires in the occurrence of equine periodic opthalmia observed in this most northern district of Japan, where no cases of leptospirosis had been reported before the present study was carried out.

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Studies were conducted to scrutinize serum protein changes in such conditions as age, sex, breed, and environmcnt. These changes were examined for physiological variations, such as diurnal differences, changes after physical exercise, and alterations during pregnancy or after delivery. No significant influences of breed and sex were observed on the normal canine serum protein figure. Among the normal mongrel dogs examined, no definite differences were present in the concentrations of serum proteins between house dogs and stray dogs or between those being free from Dirofilaria immitis infection and harboring no adult worms in the heart and those which had no microfilariae in the blood stream. Therefore, it was concluded that the average serum protein concentrations determined in a great number of healthy, microfilaria-negative mongrel dogs could be regarded as "normal" levels of serum proteins in the dog. Moreover, marked alterations were observed in the serum protein picture. The relationship of the serum proteins to different ages was analyzed in normal mongrel dogs. The results are given in Tables 3, 4, 5, and 7. In embryos and newborn puppies, the total proteins and albumins were of lower value and the relative concentrations of alpha- and beta-globulins higher than in young and adult dogs. In the former, traces of, or no, gamma-globulin was contained. Gamma-globulin appeared in the serum very soon after the first sucking. Its average relative concentration increased to 10.3% 48 hours after birth. A progressive increase in total proteins was noticed during the growth. The absolute concentrations of albumin and gamma-globulin rose continuously until their adult levels were reached. In adult dogs, both relative and absolute values of albumin and gamma-globulin remained rather constant. Old dogs, especially those over 10 years old, however, tended to show slightly lower levels of total protein and albumin and a higher level of gamma-globulin. There was a slight variation in the level of total serum protein in the course of a day and just after the physical exercise. The serum protein concentration increased in parallel in both sexes from newborn baby to adult. It was observed that the serum protein fractions varied during pregnancy or after delivery.

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Some investigators made an attempt to clarify the etiology of endometritis from the distribution of bacteria in the uterus. They examined organisms distributed in the affected uterus and the healthy one. Organisms of Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Escherichia coli, Corynebacterium, and pyocyaneus were detected from both uteri. As a result, it has been made clear that the healthy uterus is not always so sterile as has been presumed to be. Various kinds of organisms, though different in number, are present in the normal uterus, without exercising any influence on the host animal. This fact was already reported by previous studies. Therefore, it is affirmed that no occurrence of endometritis is dependent solely on the cause of bacteria. BLACK et al. and MURPHREE et al. were successful in causing typical Pyometra in rabbits by introducing a fertilized egg or semen into the uterus at the pseudopregnant period. McDONALD caused experimental pyometra in a rabbit at the pseudopregnant period by injecting semen contaminated with bacteria. Essentially the same results as these were obtained by BLACK et al., WATANABE, and YAMANOUCHI et al. Similar experiments were also conducted by HAWK et al., WINTER et al., and BROOME et al. On the other hand, AZIZ-UD-DIN, TERPSTRA, YAMANOUCHI et al., and BAIER et al. tried to produce endometritis by using such organisms as distributed in the vagina, cervical canal, and uterus. All of them, but the first named, however, found it difficult to give rise typical endometritis by the method. Such being the case, experimental endometritis is hard to develop by simple injection of bacteria in the uterus. MCDONALD et al., BLACK et al., WATANAE, YAMANOUCHI et al., and HAWK et al. represent the consensus of the reason for difficulty of causing this disease experimentally. According to them, the uterus exhibits a quite different response to invading organisms in the follicular phase from that in the corpus-luteum phase in the cow and rabbit. It is very difficult to infect the uterus with bacteria in the follicular phase, but endometritis is easily produced in the uterus at the corpus-luteum phase by introducing bacteria in the organ. They obtained these findings from their experiments and concluded that sex hormones were related strongly to these responses of the uterus. The results of Experiments Nos. 1 and 2 of the present study indicate that the bacteria injected in the uterus at the corpus-luteum phase propagated remarkably to cause endometritis eventually. Such results can be expected from the relationship with sex hormone, as pointed out by MCDONALD et al., BLACK et al., WATANABE, and YAMANOUCHI et al. Since a large amount of bacteria was injected in the two experiments, it must be considered that the uterus might have suffered from any mechanical disturbance by the injection. Accordingly, a small amount of bacteria was used for injection in Experiment No. 3. When injected 4 days or more after copulative stimulation had been given in this experiment, bacteria revealed a conspicuous propagation in the uterus. When injected within 3 days after stimulation, bacteria showed a decrease in number in every case. It is assumed from the relationship with hormone that bacteria will propagate in the uterus when they are injected to the organ at the corpus-luteum phase. This phase can be brought about by ovulation which occurs after copulative stimulation is given. On the other hand, it has been generally understood that the function of corpus-luteum hormone is indistinct immediately after ovulation and becomes gradually remarkable with the lapse of time. In Experiment NO. 3 of the present study, bacteria showed a decrease in number in the uterus when injected there within 3 days after copulative stimmulation had been given. If any relationship with hormone works there, the bacteria will propagate after a temporal decrease in number. Contrary to this presumption, the results indicated no propagation after the decrease i

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The anal sac of a tiger was removed by incision of the anal canal and examined macroscopically and histologically. It lay on each side of the anus. Its opening was found to open at the top of a nipple located on the cutaneous zone adjacent to the anocutaneous line of the anus. The anal sac was filled with a viscid, malodorous, brown-yellowish fluid. The anal sac and its excretory duct were lined with a stratified squamous epithelium. The wall of the excretory duct consisted of very thin subepithelial connective tissue and a thick muscular layer, and that of the sac was composed of well-developed subepithelial stroma bearing many glandular tubules and a thick muscular band. The anal sac glands embedded in the connective-tissue stroma of the anal sac contain two kinds of glands, apocrine sudoriferous and sebaceous. The pattern of distribution of anal sac glands in the tiger was very close to that in the cat.

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