The disease can be transmitted from rabbit to rabbit by means of subconjunctival inoculation of suspensions of the affected tissues or by instillation of such material into the conjunctival sac, or even by mere contact of folliculosis animals with rabbits having smooth conjunctivae. It is plain that the disease is an infection.

The causal agent of the infection is not filtrable through Seitz discs that retain Serratia marcescens nor through Berkefeld V candles that permit the passage of this organism. Furthermore, the lesions of the spontaneous or of the experimental disease do not exhibit the cytotropic effects or the inclusion bodies suggestive of the action of an ultramicroscopic virus. They are characterized, on the other hand, by a persistent and progressive chronicity and show certain resemblances to the granulomata.

The evidence suggests that the spontaneous conjunctival folliculosis of rabbits is due to a microorganism—one having a low grade pathogenic action. In a paper shortly to be published, a bacterium capable of reproducing folliculosis in normal rabbits will be described.