The collecting tubules in the deeper part of the cortex and medulla were markedly dilated and choked with granular leucocytes. Sections of the organs were examined bacteriologically by Muir, the necrosed areas revealing the presence of “rod-like bodies of the size of large bacilli massed together in dense clusters; the appearance suggested that these rods were either degenerated cell products of an unusual character, degenerated bacteria, or crystalline in nature.” Examination of the same by polariscope by Marshall disposed of the possibility that they were crystalline. Finally it was thought that the appearances generally favoured the view that the rods in question were bacteria which had lost their reaction to bacterial stains owing to bacteriolytic or other changes. As to the inference that the defunct fowl fell a victim to acute gout, Watson based it on the existence of the _uratic deposits_ in the tissues, the changes in the synovia, the widespread thromboses, and the renal necroses. As to the other lesions, the chief interest centres in those located in the intestine, pancreas and kidney. The state of the _pancreatic duct_ raises the question as to whether it points to any connection between these changes and the common occurrence of _glycosuria_ in gouty subjects. The alteration in the _leucocytes_ merits notice in that similar changes were found by Watson in the blood in _acute gouty polyarthritis_, the same, moreover, being subsequently confirmed by Bain. Chalmers Watson’s final conclusion was that “the clinical features of gout—regular or irregular, acute or chronic—are more adequately explained by the light of our present knowledge of infections, relapses, and immunity than by any other theory. The distinctive feature of this infection in gout is that the toxin or toxins have a special property of disturbing nitrogenous metabolism in a manner favourable to the deposit of uric acid in certain tissues.” SUGGESTION OF A SPECIFIC INFECTION It will have been noted that, despite the growing number of adherents to the infective theory, no attempt had been made to saddle any particular organism with the responsibility of initiating gout. But in 1905 Trautner, holding _mucous colitis_ to be one of the initial manifestations of gout, affirmed his belief that the _bacillus coli communis_ was the responsible microbic agent. He claimed that this particular organism, during its passage through the system, gives rise to a reducing agent which is subsequently transmuted into _xanthin_ and _uric acid_. This is, of course, but a variant of Gore’s original view that the toxin of gout is a product of certain bacteria normally present in the intestine, but which under certain conditions take on a pathogenic action.