478 EXPEEIMENT STATION EECORD. 



mentioned the glistening iridescent colonies on agar and the variation in their 

 size; the colonies on and the nouliqnefaction of gelatin; the slow growth in 

 bouillon; the conspicuous pigmented growth on potato; and the organism's 

 inability to ferment dextrose, saccharose, or lactose, or to produce acid." 



Infectious abortion in bovines, ZwicK {Deut. Tieriirztl. Wchnschr., 19 

 (1911), No. 51, pp. 781-785; abs. in Ztschr. Immunitdtsf. u. Expt. Ther., II, Ref., 

 5 {1912), No. 1, p. 855). — This work, a portion of which has been previously 

 noted (E. S. R., 24, p. 785), shows that the serum of cows which have aborted, 

 taken at the time or shortly after, will agglutinate in a titer of from 1 : 100 to 

 1 : 10,000, while normal animals' serum will never agglutinate over a titer of 

 1 : 100. A complement fixation test is obtained with the serum of cows which 

 aborted, in amounts of from 0.01 to 0.001 cc, while the serum of normal animals 

 requires amounts varjnng from 0.02 to 0.1. 



As the abortion bacillus when taken with the food will also produce specific 

 antibodies, and the immune bodies remain for a long time in the serum, this 

 finding will only show that the animals are or were infected. Abortin prepared 

 according to procedures used for producing tuberculin does not yield constant 

 results. It is possible to produce highly active immune serum, and active im- 

 munization is possible, although the author believes it is a good procedure to 

 combine the active immunization process with immune serum injections. 



Contribution to Ascoli's precipitant diagnosis of anthrax, F. Ruppeet 

 (Mitt. Kaiser Wilhelms Inst. Landio. Bromherg, // (1912), No. 3, pp. 2.'i3-2J,7). — 

 After pointing out the fact that Ascoli's serum often gives a slight ring when 

 testing with material free from anthrax, as noted by Markoff (E. S. R.. 27, p. 

 182), the author reports several cases in which a negative reaction was obtained 

 with positively anthracic material. The method could not be employed for 

 detecting anthrax bacteria or spores in foodstuffs. 



Tests and observations of methods for combating foot-and-mouth disease, 

 E. Kronacheb (Deiit. Landw. Tierzucht, 16 (1912), No. 11, pp. 122-124) .—The 

 preparations used in these tests were Krafift's vaccine (for orotective and cura- 

 tive treatment), Hoffmann's euguform (for treating animals already diseased), 

 ouformal, which is a chemical combination of 18 per cent of formaldehyde and 

 82 per cent of dextrin (for preventing infection), antiformin, pypktanin, acetic 

 acid and clay, and mitisol. None of these preparations gave very satisfactory 

 results, with the possible exception of pyoktanin, which when used in connec- 

 tion with acetic acid and clay, gave fair results. 



Serum diagnosis of glanders and other animal diseases, J. R. Mohler (Rpt. 

 U. S. Live Stock Sanit. Assoc., 15 (1911), pp. 165-172). — A discussion of the 

 mallein reaction, complement fixation test, and the comliined complement fixa- 

 tion and agglutination test, accompanied by a report of the results obtained in 

 the various States. The combined test is the one recommended. See also n 

 previous note (E. S. R., 27, p. 183). 



Observations and investigations of infectious ostitis and osteomyelitis 

 in the ox and horse, A. Baumgaetner (Schweiz. Arch. Ticrheilk., 53 (1911), 

 No. S, pp. 107-123, pis. If, figs. 3). — The author's observations and investigations 

 have led to the following conclusions: 



There is in the horse and bovine a very painful ostitis and osteomyelitis, 

 caused by the necrosis bacterium alone or in symbiosis with a gram-positive 

 coccus. It results in an uninterrupted motor disturbance of the most marked 

 type, a skeletal lameness, an increased pulse rate, and often somewhat fever, 

 but without affecting the appetite. In some cases abscess formation follows. 

 The disease has a very destructive effect upon the bones without reactive 

 osteophyte formation, therefore hypertrophy of the bone is never observed. 

 The course is mostly slow and long continued. lodin preparations have a 



