VETERINARY MEDICINE. 175 



Expt. Ther., II, Ref., 3 {1910), No. 8, p. 839).— This is a general review in 

 regard to the present status of the topic. 



About precipitating sera, B. Vbyburg (Ztschr. Fleisch io. Milchhyg., 21 

 (toil). Xos. 'i. pp. 101-105; 5, pp. Li7-150; 6, pp. 175-179; 7, pp. 211-215).— 

 After an extensive review of the existing literature on this subject, the author 

 gives his results of a comparative study of the Uhlenhuth (E. S. R., 21, p. 108), 

 Friedemann, Leers,^ and Fornet-Miiller methods." 



The preliminary treatment of animals according to the Friedemann, Uhlen- 

 huth, and Leers methods was found to be very effective, with the exception 

 that the Uhlenhuth and Leers methods were greatly dei^endent upon the indi- 

 vidual susceptibility of the rabbit and the number of injections given. No rela- 

 tion could be noted between the degree of emaciation, tlie anaphylactic shock, 

 and the precipitin formation. The Foruet-Miiller rapid method is not recom- 

 mended by the author. 



Some tests were also conducted to determine the sensitiveness of the precipi- 

 tin test for detecting various kinds of flesh (horse, bovine, sheep, hog) in 

 homologous extracts. The best sera were still capable of detecting the protein 

 in dilutions up to 1 : S. 



In reg-ard to the inhibition of precipitation by precipitoids, W. Spat 

 {Biochcin. Ztschr., 2S (1910), No. 1, pp. 7-15; abs. in ZentU. Allg. u. Expt. Biol., 

 J {1911), No. 20-22, p. 753). — The inhibition caused by inactivated immune or 

 normal sei'a is not due to a combination between the inactive serum (precipi- 

 toid) and the bacterial extract. Both substances were found, after a long 

 period of activity, to be in a free state. 



The sensitiveness of complement towards ferments, L. Michaelis and 

 P. Skwirsky {Ztschr. Immunitatsf. u. Expt. Ther., I, Orig., 7 {1910), No. 4, 

 l)p. 497-506; ahs. in Centbl. BaJct. [etc.], 1. AM., Ref., 49 {1911), No. 1-2, pp. 

 IJf, iJ).— Specific hemolysis is inhibited by pure proteolytic ferments. As the 

 amboceptor is not destroyed by the ferments the authors infer that they exert 

 their action upon the complement and also upon the middle and end pieces of 

 the complement system. The protein nature of both of the parts of the com- 

 plement is thus proved, but the authors point out the fact that it has not yet 

 been established whether another chemical component, nonprotein in nature, 

 is active with the complement. 



In regard to the bactericidal action of normal and immune sera and 

 normal and immune leucocytes (separated and in Wright's mixture) upon 

 Staphylococcus pyogenes aureus, Bacillus anthracis, and the Pneumococcus, 

 H. DoLD and W. INIxiff {Arb. Path. Anat. u. BaJct., Path. Anat. Inst. Tubingen, 

 7 {1910), No. 2, pp. 273-279; abs. in Centbl. Bakt. [etc.], 1. Abt., Ref., 49 {1911), 

 No. 1-2, p. 10). — The results show that the bactericidal action of rabbit serum 

 against the anthrax bacillus in vitro is far greater than that of pigeon serum. 

 Both of the sera act bactericidally towards S. pyogenes aureus, but not so 

 markedly as they do against the anthrax bacillus. The immune serum from 

 rabbits was bactericidal toward the pneumococcus. In the presence of serum 

 the leucocytes (V/right's mixture) either do not act bactericidally at all, or 

 when they are bactericidal the action is far below that of the serum itself. 



It is pointed out that the physiological solution used in the Wright's test 

 for the bacterial emulsion is in itself bactericidal against the above mentioned 



1 Metboden und Technik der Gewinnung, Priifung imd Konservierung des zur foren- 

 sischen Blut- bzw. Eiweissdiffpi-enzierunir dionendon Anti-Serums. Berlin, 190S, pp. ol. 

 -Ztsclir. Biol. Tech. u. Methodik, 1 (lOOSj, pp. 201-206. 



