86 EXPERIMENT STATION KECOKD, 



a puyitivo roactiou to tlu> subcutaneous injection of tuberculin to be of absolute; 

 value. From 5 to S per cent of tuberculous animals do not react to the subcu- 

 taneous injection even when those fraudulently injected and those tested within 

 30 days have been eliminated. Subcutaneous injections should, in his opinion, 

 be supplemented by local tests. 



A new contribution to the study of the local reactions to tuberculin, J. 

 LiGNifeuKS {Bui. Soc. Cent. M6d. Vet., 86 (1909), No. 8, pp. 1J,6-1 67). —The au- 

 thor here discusses at some length the cuticular, ophthalmic, dermic, local, sub- 

 cutaneous, and Intradermal reactions to tuberculin. Much of the substance of 

 this account is included in the following abstract. 



New methods of employing tuberculin in the diagnosis of tuberculosis, 

 J. LioNiiiRES (Bui. /S'or-. Cent. Med. Vet., 86 (1909), No. 10, pp. 206-211 ; Jour. 

 Compar. Path, and Ther., 22 (1909), No. 3, pp. 2,77-2//5 ) .—After discussing 

 this subject at some length and considering the results obtained in a number 

 of individnals the author draws the following conclusions : 



" In practice the thermal I'eaction and the local reaction to tuberculin form 

 a satisfactory means of diagnosing tuberculosis. No single method is sutficient 

 in itself. It is absolutely necessary to employ several, capable of mutually 

 controlling one another, in order to increase the chances of a positive diagnosis. 

 This forms the method of associated reactions. The choice of tests must de- 

 pend on the conditions under which the investigator is working, but the 

 ophthalmic test should always be employed, and, if possible, repeated. The 

 thermal reaction I'esulting from subcutaneous injection should always be sup- 

 plemented by the local-subcutaneous test. 



" The diagnosis of tuberculosis depends absolutely on the development of a 

 clearly marked positive reaction, of whatever kind. In practice negative re- 

 sults have no significance in face of a single well-marked positive reaction. 

 If, when employing the associated method, several reactions prove positive the 

 operator's confidence in his diagnosis is increased, and he is encouraged to 

 carry out the necessary sanitary measures in their entirety. Doubtful reac- 

 tions are of great importance. They enable us to segregate the animals for 

 the purpose of carrying out further investigations or repeating certain tests 

 under more favorable conditions. The ophthalmic reaction is the best method 

 of detecting tuberculosis in herds of animals which live in the open throughout 

 the year. It can be repeated quite frequently, and each time enables us to 

 reduce the number of doubtful cases, and so, by reducing the total number, to 

 employ other tests. 



" The local tests which do not influence the thermal reaction, such as the 

 cuticular, dermic, and especially the ophthalmic test, can be employed shortly 

 before the subcutaneous injection ; while local tests which might interfere 

 with the general thermal reaction, such as the local subcutaneous and the 

 intradermic tests, should not be employed in pi-actice if one wishes soon after- 

 wards to obtain the best results from an ordinary subcutaneous injection. 

 All the local tests may give positive results in tuberculous subjects even wheu 

 the animals are simultaneously injected in the ordinary way (that is, subcu- 

 taneously. The ophthalmic test is least affected by a subcutaneous injection, 

 and the intradermic the most. As a general rule, it is desirable to wait a 

 certain time before applying one of the local tests to an animal which has 

 recently received an ordinary subcutaneous injection, but 3 to 4 days after 

 a subcutaneous injection the cuticular, dermic, and especially the ophthalmic 

 reactions may be used with success. The local-subcutaneous and the intra- 

 dermic are much more influenced by a previous injection of tuberculin. Twelve 

 to 14 days, and sometimes much more, should be allowed to lapse if one wishes 

 to insure the best conditions. 



