386 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Preliminary report of investigations of serums and vaccines for strep- 

 tococcus, staphylococcus, and pneumococcus infections, I.. IIkktokn, (J. II. 

 Wkavkk. ;ui(1 It. TiNXUi.ii I' (Jour. Aiiirr. Mai. .t.s.sof., 7'/ (IHIO). .Vo. .'/, />. 

 2o7'). — "The antijienic proportit's of the so-called vaccines were tested by in- 

 jections in rabbits with subse(|iuMit opsonin deteriniiiat ions. IHstinct anti>;enic 

 I>roi)erties wert> jwssessed Iiy all the streptococcns and staphylococcus vaccines 

 tested. The pneumococcus vaccines were inert when injected into rabbits so 

 far as indicated by any change in the opsonic index. 



" Streptococcus o])sonins could not be demonstrated in any of the serums 

 tested, and activation by fresh scrums was not accomplislicd in nny sigiuficant 

 defiree. When they were injected into rabbits, increase in strei)tococcus opsonins 

 could not be demonsti'ated in the serums of the animals in any notable de^'ree, 

 except in some instances. 



"Attemi)ts to obtain i)rotective and curative etfects from the injection of 

 antistreptococcus serums in rabbits, jiuinea piss^, and in a more limited scale 

 in mice met failure. The serums often seemed to reduce the natural resistance 

 and to hasten death. 



" In the autipneumococcus serums it was impossible to demonstrate anti- 

 bodies for pneumococci by any method employed. 



" It is our belief that the claims for the usefulness of antistreptococcus and 

 autipneumococcus serums rest on impressions from results in clinical cases in 

 man. and have in most cases no foundation whatsoever in experimental tests." 



Extracts from state veterinary surgeon's report of 1908, P. O. Koto {Iowa 

 Year'hook .\<ir.. !) (1908), /*/>. 360-388, figs. 9).— This extract from the sixth 

 biennial report is devoted largely to a discussion of the status of tuberculosis 

 (pp. 362-381) in the State, the most important work of the department having 

 centered about its location and eradication among cattle. 



" The number of cattle tested by our department at the various institutions 

 was 790 head, of which 207 reacted to the test, being a fraction under 34 per 

 cent. There were also 15 head suspicious, which, added to the 2(57 reacting, 

 makes a total of 282 head. . . . All animals reacting to the test showed tuber- 

 cular lesions, and some of the suspicious animals were found diseased, a great 

 many in an advanced stage." 



Glanders, hog cholera, and maladie du coit are also briefly considered. 



Report on the operations of the veterinary sanitary service of Paris and 

 the Department of the Seine for the year 1908, H. Martel (Ruik Oper. Scrv. 

 Vet. ^(iiiit. Paris cf Dcpt. Seine. WOS. pp. 292, figs. 7). — This report takes up 

 the work with contagious diseases (pp. 7-85). meat inspection (pp. 86-232), 

 milk inspection (pp. 233-242). inspection of several classes of establishments 

 including abattoirs, dairies, etc. (pp. 245-249). laboratory investigations (pp. 

 251-274), and the automobile service (pp. 275-284). Detailed accounts are 

 given of the occurrence of rabies, aphthous fever, tuberculosis, glanders, and 

 swine plague. 



A' report of the proceedings of the tropical section of the International 

 Veterinary Congress at the Hague. September 13 to 19, 1909 (Jour. Trx>p. 

 Med. and Hiig. [London]. 12 (1909). No. 19. pp. 292-296).— In this brief report 

 an abstract is given of a paper by E. Dschunkowsky and J. Luhs, of Suruabad, 

 Russia, on 'The Protozoan Diseases of Domestic Animals in Transcaucasia,' in 

 which a list is given of the ticks observed and an account of researches on 

 spirillosis of geese. In a paper by A. Theiler, Pretoria, Transvaal, on The 

 Prophylaxis of Tropical and Subtropical Diseases in Domestic Stock, the sub- 

 ject is considered under (1) the diseases transmitted by winged insects, and (2) 

 the diseases transmitted by ticks. A brief account is given of a discussion of, 

 and the instruction and laboratories for research in, tropical diseases. 



