VETERINAKY MEDICINE. 289 



contracted tuberculosis', and that of 14 chec-ks or untreated control animals 

 12 became infected on exposure. Of the S animals that received injections of 

 bovine tubercle culture subcutaneously into the ends of their tails (4 old and 

 4 young animals) all but one young animal contracted disease as the result of 

 the injections. The one that escaped disease from the injection also resisted 

 tuberculosis on exposure. Of the 5 cattle that received human culture injec- 

 tions into the ends of their tails 2 became immune without inoculation disease, 

 2 were immune but had slight inoculation disease, and 1 had both inoculation 

 and exposure disease. The injection of tubercle cultures under the skin of 

 the neck of animals caused them all to contract tuberculosis. 



"Careful autopsies of the cattle treated by intravenous inoculations of 

 tubercle bacilli, according to the methods of von Behriug and Pearson, show 

 that the more or less attenuated tubercle bacilli that engender immunity against 

 tuberculosis rarely leave the treated subjects wholly free from lesions that can 

 be accounted for in any other way than as due to the pathogenic activity within 

 the animal's body of the injected bacilli. . . ." 



In addition to the aboAe, " 12 cattle and 10 hogs were inoculated with Hey- 

 mann's capsules. The animals were divided into three groups, and one group 

 of hogs and cattle was exposed immediately, after treatment to a tuberculous 

 envii'onnient, a second about two months later, and a third about two months 

 after the second. With each group of hogs a similar number of untreated hogs 

 were exposed as checks. . . . Among the Heymann's treated hogs one con- 

 tracted generalized tuberculosis from the treatment and one died prematurely 

 as the result of an injury. When the remaining 8 hogs with their 10 checks 

 were killed, after an ex])osure to natural infection varying from 8 months to 

 a year, all the principals and checks were found to be affected with tubercu- 

 losis. Not one of either lot had escaped the disease, and the lesions in the 

 treated animals were in no respect different from those found in the checks. 

 Hence, it is very clear that Heymann's method is absolutely worthless for hogs." 



In regard to the transfusion tests it could be noted " that the experiments 

 gave wholly negative results, and hold out no encouragement as being a means 

 by which tuberculosis can be treated or the resistance to infection strengthened." 



The authors finally conclude that "no system of bovo-vaccination has 

 reached a stage at the present time that justifies its use in common practice." 



Onchocerciasis in cattle, with special reference to the structure and 

 bionomic characters of the parasite, R. T. Leipeb (Rpts. Local Govt. Bd. 

 [G. Brit.], Pub. Health and Med. SMbjs., n. ser., 1911, No. 45, pp. 6-16, pis. 3; 

 Jour. Trop. Med. and Hyg. [London^, l-'t (1911), No. 6, pp. 81-93, figs. 13).— 

 " The parasitic nodules in Australian beef are, without exception, due to the 

 presence of long thread-like worms of the genus Onchocerca. The diseased 

 condition, onchocerciasis, is not peculiar to Australian cattle, but occurs also 

 in other animals and in various parts of the world, including the United States 

 of America. The parasites belong to a group of worms that require to be 

 taken up by a biting insect, and to undergo a certain degree of development 

 therein before they can be transmitted to another warm-blooded animal. The 

 worms and their young do not appear to be capable of surviving for more 

 than a few hours the death of the cattle. No evidence of the vitality of the 

 worm or its embryo has been met with in the case of Australian beef reaching 

 this country." The direct development of the parasite in man as a result of 

 eating infected meat is impossible. The nodules are the product of changes 

 taking place in the tissues as a result of some acrid toxin excreted by the worms. 

 In the author's opinion their presence in meat intended for human consumption 

 is undesirable for this reason. 



A bibliography of 15 titles is appended. 



