VETERINARY MEDICINE. 181 



day. Apparently positive reactions were obtained some days later than the 

 twenty-third. 



The method is considered essentially a laboratory method, and can not be 

 used by the average veterinarian unless he has good laboratory facilities. 



Some tests made by E. Abderhalden arc also included in the data. 



Valuation of precipitating anthrax serum, W. Rickmann and K. Joseph 

 (Berlin. Tierdrztl. Wchnschr., 29 {1913), No. 33, pp. 591-593).— It is shown 

 that a standard antigen made from diseased organs is not necessary for the 

 valuation of precipitating anthrax serum. For this purpose the authors pro- 

 pose the use of bacterial extracts in which a determination is made of the 

 total solids or dry substance. The total solids were found to be an index as 

 to the amount of i)rocipitating substances present. 



Symptomatic anthrax and diseases resembling' it. — I, (a) Sy-mptomatic 

 anthrax, F. Wulff (Deut. Tierdrztl. Wchnschr., 20 {1912), Nos. 40, pp. 609- 

 014; 41, PP- 625-629). — It is shown that blackleg occurs with and without 

 pathologic changes in the muscle tissue. A suspicion of blackleg may be 

 awakened if the cadaver emits the characteristic rancid or rancid acid odor, 

 or by the presence of a spleenic tumor, liver spots, pleuritis, and serofibrinous 

 pericarditis. A microscopic examination of the original material hardly ever 

 presents anything which is characteristic, and consequently a test of this kind 

 is of no practical value for diagnostic purposes. A diagnosis is only certain 

 with the cadaver when the pathologic process is more or less extensive in 

 nature and the changes are not related in any way to some disease of the 

 productive system. 



Blackleg may be suspected (a) if small, apparently unimportant, blackish 

 red, dry or wet patches of diseased muscle are present, (b) by external hem- 

 orrhagic infiltration of the muscle, or (c) by the same findings in the organs. 



Blackleg and diseases resembling symptomatic anthrax. — II, (b) Diseases 

 resembling symptomatic anthrax, F. Wulff (Deut. Tierdrztl. Wchnschr., 20 

 {1912), No. 45. pp. 689-693). — A discussion of the author's findings with cases 

 which, in many respects, resembled blackleg. In some instances bacteria were 

 isolated which at first sight appeared to be the typical Bacillus anthracis 

 symptomatici; consequently the process of diagnosing cases of symptomatic 

 anthrax must be carefully conducted, and such aids as serum tests and animal 

 experiments must be utilized. 



Diagnosis of blackleg by examining the bile, III, F. Wulff (Detit. 

 Tierdrztl. Wchnschr., 20 {1912), No. 46, pp. 705-709; ahs. in Centhl. Bakt. 

 [etc.], 1. AM., Rcf., 56 {1913), No. 12, p. 367).— Out of 30 cases, undoubtedly 

 symptomatic anthrax, the causative organism was noted 18 times in the bile, 

 and in the remaining subjects the edema bacillus was observed. By injecting 

 the muscle tissue from these 30 animals into guinea pigs, the typical symptoms 

 of blackleg were produced in every case, consequently at the present state of 

 our knowledge the bile is of no absolute value for diagnosing the presence of 

 this disease. 



Additional data in regard to the precipitation diagnosis in tuberculosis, 

 F. MoRELLi {Ann. 1st. Maragliano, 6 {1912), No. 4, pp. 290-297; ahs. in Ztschr. 

 Immunitdtsf. u. Expt. Ther., II, Ref., 6 {1913), No. 15, pp. 1107, 1108).— As a 

 continuation of previous work (E. S. R., 28, p. 377) the results of examining 

 46 sera by the precipitation method are reported. It is believed that the 

 method is a satisfactory one for diagnosing tuberculosis. 



The intradermal reaction in bovines, M. Dalkiewicz {Przegl. Weterynarski, 

 27 {1912), Nos. 5, pp. 195-199; 6, pp. 228-237; abs. in Ztschr. Immunitdtsf. u. 

 Expt. Ther., II, Ref., 6 {1913), No. 15, p. 1063). — The reaction is deemed a good 

 one, especially as a repetition will always give the same result. 



