VETERINARY MEDICINE. 281 



tumors; the prowtli and lifo history of tiiiiiors; the physiological aspects of 

 tumor growth: tlio biological aspects of tumor formation; ami the causation of 

 tumors. 



Biological detection of parasites, I. IJakit ( Uher den bioIogi.<<clicn NachiveU 

 von Paraftiten. Inuuy. Diss., Univ. Konig.sberg, 1912, pp. 31; ahs. in Zcntbl. 

 Biochem. u. Biophps., l.'f {1912), No. 3-4, p. 150). — No specific complement fixa- 

 tion reaction could be obtained with tapeworm extracts. This is contrary to 

 the findings of Meyer (E. S. R., 28, p. 880). 



Further note on the growth of filarial embryos in vitro, F. M. Johns and 

 r. I,. QrKRENS (Aiurr. Jour. Trop. Disrnsrs nm] Prev. Med.. 1 {1914), No. 9, pp. 

 620-624, pi. 1). — In (lextro.se detibrinated blood from the dog, preiiared and 

 inoculated at a temjjerature of 37° C, the embryos of VHaria imniiti.'i exhibit 

 growth and motility for a period of about 15 days, when the media and 

 organisms begin to disintegrate. 



Investigations on precipitating anthrax serum, W. Pfeiler and I>. Dreschkk 

 {Mitt. Kaiser Wilhelms Inst. Lnndw. Bromberg, 5 {1913), No. 4, pp. 281-305; 

 ahs. in Berlin. Tierarztl. Wehnsehr., 30 {1914). No. 2, pp. 31, 32).— In the prep- 

 aration of highly potent precipitating anthrax sera it is necessary to use a 

 strain of bacteria which will become encapsulated when grown on agar medium 

 and the proper kind of animal. No discharge of anthrax bacilli with the feces of 

 the serum animal took place. It was found advisable to draw the blood from the 

 animal 12 days post-injection. Rapidly and highly immunized animals were 

 foimd to lose in titer after a short time, but the sera from animals immunized 

 slowly but intensely retrogress only slowly. 



The precipitating sera do not lose their activity when held at a temperature 

 of 37 to 45° C. for several days, but when temperatures of 5G to 00° are em- 

 ployed they lose their precipitating powers. In other words, the precipitins are 

 converted into i)rocii)itoids. 



The addition of comi)lement will not reactivate the sera. Freezing once does 

 not affect the precipitation; centrifuging at 13,800 revolutions has likewise no 

 effect. Repeated freezing and thawing, however, affects the precipitating pow- 

 ers of the upper strata of the sera held in tubes, but there is no noticeable in- 

 crease in precipitins in the lower layers. Concentration of the volume in a 

 desiccator does not increase the activity of the sera nor does slight dilution 

 affect the titer. 



Drying the sera and then mixing them with water results in a cloudy solu- 

 tion which can not be used for tests. Drying on filter paiier renders the pre- 

 cipitins insoluble, and only a very weak reaction results with the fluid obtained 

 by dissolving the serum solids on the paper. Precipitins, when dried, will stand 

 a greater degree of heat than when in the liquid state and they are not de- 

 stroyed by alcohol, ether, and chloroform. 



The precipitins of anthrax sera belong to the globulins and in most cases 

 they are distributed in this gi'oup among the eu- and pseudoglobulins. Accord- 

 ing to Ascoli the antigen substances of anthrax bacilli give a biruet reaction 

 but none of the other protein reactions. These authors doubt if the biuret test 

 is satisfactory for determining whether bacillary extracts contain proteins. 



Viability of the anthrax bacterium, M. J. Harkins {Anier. Vet. Rev., 45 

 {1914), ^0- ly PP- 76-78). — Experiments made with pieces of suture silk which 

 had been immersed in a liquid culture or suspension of anthrax bacteria and 

 then dried and placed in a glass test tube, sealed with a cotton plug and tight 

 fitting rubber stopper, show that anthrax spores are able to propagate for at 

 least 13 years and 11 months, and that the spores under these conditions retain 

 some virulence, if not all, lor the same length of time. 



