VETERINARY MEDICINE. 283 



together with a summary of the more important literature bearing on the 

 relation of bovine tuberculosis to the infection in man. 



Joint committee of House and Senate to investigate the tuberculin test 

 and the pasteurization of milk and its products, under House Joint Resolu- 

 tion Number 20 (47. Oen. Assembly III, [1911], pp. 79).— This is the second 

 report of this committee In continuance of the investigations noted in the first 

 report (E. S. R., 24, p. 682) and above. 



The precipitin, complement-binding, and antiopsonic tests in tuberculous 

 and normal cattle, A. E. Portee (Jour. Hyg. [Cambridge], 11 (lOlil), No. 1, 

 pp. 105-117). — "Advanced tuberculous bovine serum, lil^e human, does not 

 re«nond very well to the precipitin test. On the other hand, a certain percentage 

 of animals without any macroscopic evidence of tubercle do react. On this 

 account the reaction, although undoubtedly valuable as a prophylactic, does not 

 afford very reliable information as to the condition of an animal about to be 

 slaughtered for meat. Combined with the complement-binding test, which ap- 

 pears to be more characteristic of advanced than of early diseases (the pre- 

 cipitin reaction belonging i-ather to the early and intermediate stages), it should 

 prove of considerable value. It is interesting that bovine tuberculous serum 

 does not precipitate with 0.5 per cent phenol, in the same way as human tuber- 

 culous serum. 



" The antiopsonic reaction can hardly be said to be characteristic of tubercu- 

 lous disease. It represents apparently a flaw in the normal protective mech- 

 anism, and if especially present in advanced tuberculous sera is probably only 

 so because the individuals possessing this pre-antiopsonin were rendered thereby 

 more susceptible to the progress of the disease. 



" If the precipitin reaction is on the whole perhaps prognostically more favor- 

 able, the antiopsonic reaction is probably prognostically unfavorable." 



Two chemical reactions for diagnosing tuberculosis, J. Jefimov (Vracheb- 

 nai/a Gaz. [St. Petcrsb.], 11 {1910), No. 51, pp. 1G02, 1603; abs. in Murwheri: 

 Med. WcJmschr., 58 (1911), No. 11, p. 919).— In the first reaction some freshly 

 voided urine is heated to the boiling point and its reaction determined with lit- 

 mus paper. In active tuberculosis the reaction is amphoteric and only in the 

 last stages is it acid. 



The second test is conducted as follows: To a small amount of freshly voided 

 urine a small amount of 20 per cent solution of lead acetate is added, then 

 filtered through a double filter, the filtrate brought to the boiling point, and 

 to the hot urine is added dropwise a 30 to 20 per cent alcoholic solution of 

 chemically pure silver nitrate. After 5, 10, and 12 or more drops of the latter 

 are added the urine assumes a bricli-red color when tuberculosis is in the latent 

 and secondary stage. It sometimes takes on a violet coloration. In the third 

 stage of tuberculosis the urine yields a dark cherry red coloration. 



The ophthalmo reaction v. subcutaneous tuberculin test and the conjunc- 

 tival test for detecting tuberculosis with tuberculins of various kinds, 

 J. Matschke (Die Ophthalmoreaktion zur Erkennung der Tuberkulose bci 

 Rindern im Vergleich mit der subkutanen Tuberktilinreaktion und der Konjunk- 

 tivalprobe mit TuberkuUn/prdparaten verschiedencr Herstellung und Zusamr 

 mensetzung. Inaug. Diss., Univ. Bern, 1910, pp. 52; rev. in Ztsehr. Tuberkulose, 

 11 (1911), No. 3, pp. 300, 301).— The results show that the conjunctival test in- 

 creases in sensitiveness in proportion to the kind and strength of the preparation 

 employed. In this connection the author points out the value of preparing a 

 polyvalent tuberculin for this purpose. When weak, doubtful, and very doubt- 

 ful reactions are obtained, repeated installations of the tuberculin will always 

 bring out a more pronounced reaction, ijroviding of course that tuberculosis is 

 present. 



