VETERINARY MEDICINE. 583 



The data presented show that more of the older fowls in a flock are usually- 

 diseased, and as such constitute the greatest factor in the distribution of avian 

 tuberculosis. "After the elimination of the older birds the remainder of the 

 flock may be tuberculin tested in the manner indicated, and all fowls reacting 

 either typically or doubtfully should share the same fate as the older birds. 

 . . . Certain phases of the management of poultry must be given considera- 

 tion in connection with tuberculosis. Clean, airy, well-lighted [roomy] quarters 

 are less apt to promote the spread of the disease than when the opposite is 

 the case. ... To what extent the disease is transmitted by means of eggs can 

 not be said at this time, but even if the danger from this source is probably 

 a slight one, common prudence should cause one to avoid the use of eggs from 

 tuberculous birds for setting purposes. 



As an indication of what may be accomplished in the eradication of tuber- 

 culosis from a rather heavily infected flock of chickens, the authors relate that 

 in the beginning of 1913 a flock of 249 chickens was found by tuberculin test 

 and autopsy to be tuberculous to the extent of 43.37 per cent. Eliminating all 

 reacting and undesirable birds 56 nonreacting fowls were retained, to which 

 were added 47 new purchases which did not react to the test. During the 

 summer one more bird died with tuberculosis, and is regarded as a case which 

 failed to react on account of very extensive lesions. A year later the flock 

 had again increased to 249 fowls, and the test revealed only 2.41 per cent of 

 tuberculosis. "All those cases showed very slight lesions, probably incipient, 

 and may be attributed to infection by the missed case which died during the 

 summer." 



In discussing the relation of avian to mammalian tuberculosis it is con- 

 cluded that " with the possible exception of swine the danger to mammals from 

 avian infection sources is probably very slight and negligible," but as we have 

 no knowledge how soon an avian organism in a mammal may become adapted 

 to its new surroundings and become capable of producing mammalian disease. 

 " it is apparent that prudence demands that fowl tuberculosis be so controlled 

 as to prevent its transmission to other farm stock." 



Prophylaxis with attenuated tubercle bacilli, M. Rabinowitsch {Berlin. 

 Klin. Wchnsclir., 50 {1913), No. 3, pp. 114, ^15; abs. in Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc, 

 60 {1913), No. 9, pp. 703, 704).— A method is described with which- it is 

 possible to reduce or enhance the virulence of the tubercle bacillus at vrill. It 

 is done by allowing vapors of formaldehyde to act on the culture, and then 

 transferring the culture to a fresh serum medium. A strain derived from the 

 blood of a tubercular subject and highly virulent for both rabbits and guinea 

 pigs became avirulent by this treatment. 



" Two guinea pigs inoculated subcutaneously with 0.002 gm. of the culture 

 showed no signs of infection when killed six weeks later, while others inoculated 

 in the same way and then, after two months, inoculated with the same amount 

 of a highly virulent culture, human and bovine, showed no signs of infection 

 when killed six weeks later. The controls developed tuberculosis in a very 

 severe form." 



Studies on the biochemistry and chemotherapy of tuberculosis. — VII, Re- 

 port of some experimental work on the use of methylene blue and allied 

 dyes in the treatment of tuberculosis, Lydia M. De Witt {Jour. Infect. Dis- 

 eases, 13 {1913), No. 3, pp. 318-403, flys. 2).—" Methylene blue will penetrate 

 the tubercle, stain the living tubercle bacillus, and in some cases kill the bacil- 

 lus in vitro and in others lessen its virulence. When added to the culture media, 

 a relatively small percentage of methylene blue will inhibit the growth of the 

 human tubercle bacillus. Methylene blue iodid is no less irritant than the 



