VETEKINAKY MEDICINE. 577 



188) ; Biologic Products Used in Veterinai-y Medicine, by A. T. Kinsley (pp. 

 188-201) ; and Tlie Effect of Xuclein on tlie Blood, by B. F. Kaupp (pp. 207- 

 218). 



Biological investigations in regard to pregnancy. Diagnosis of pregnancy 

 with the optical method and dialysis, E. Acderhalden and M. Kiuxsi {Hoppe- 

 Seyler's Ztschr. Physiol. Clicm., 77 (1912), No. 4, pp. 249-258; Berlin. Tierarztl. 

 Wchnschr., 28 {1912), No. 25, pp. U6, -'/-'/7). — The serum of pregnant subjects 

 is capable of cleaving peptone prepared from the placenta. This act of cleav- 

 age can be noted with the polariscope, where it causes a change in rotation 

 within 48 hours. By utilizing this principle the author believes he has an 

 accurate method for diagnosing pregnancy. The tests were made with humans 

 and several animals. 



The results obtained with the method were confirmed by subjecting the 

 various sera and placentas (previously boiled to remove biuret) to dialysis. 

 From the serum coming from a nonpregnant subject no biuret test was obtained 

 in the diffusate. Clinical results always substantiated the laboratory findings. 



Study of the agglutinability of the various strains of Micrococcus meli- 

 tensis, L. Negke and Raynaud (Compt. Rend. 8oc. Biol. [Pan,s], 12 {1912), 

 No. 15, pp. 664, 665; ahs. hi Ztschi: InimunitUtsf, u. Expt. Titer., II, Ref., 5 

 (1912), No. 12, p. 253). — The contradictory statements made in regard to the 

 agglutination of M. melitensis led the author to study 5 strains of the organism, 

 all from 24-hour old cultures contained in a salt solution and tested in a serum 

 dilution of 1:30, and 37 of them human sera. 



The microscopic method seemed to agree with the findings obtained by the 

 macroscopic method. Some of the strains examined showed a marked agglu- 

 tination, and agglutinated not only specific sera, but also normal sera. Other 

 strains in the 1 : 30 dilution could be agglutinated only with sera which came 

 from absolute clinical cases of Malta fever. The behavior of the individual 

 strains seemed to be the cause for the conflicting statements which occur in 

 the literature. 



Anaphylaxis test with anthrax bacilli, B. BussoN (Ztschr. Immunitdtsf. u. 

 Expt. Ther., I, Orig., 12 (1912), No. 6, pp. 671-677; ahs. in Centbl. Bakt. [etc.^, 

 J. Abt., Ref., 54 (1912), No. 2, p. 50). — Anaphylaxis could not be produced 

 against anthrax bacilli or antibodies which could be detected in vitro. Think- 

 ing that the capsule-forming property of this organism was responsible for this, 

 the author made tests with bacilli cultivated at 42.5° C, and as a result only 

 atypical slimy capsules were produced. Anaphylaxis could be produced by 

 these organisms in rabbits in so far that the rabbits showed an increase in 

 temperature after the infection. 



The precipitin reaction and anthrax in hogs, W. Pfeileb (Berlin. Tierarztl. 

 Wchnschr., 28 (1912), No. 25, pp. 46S-466).—The results of this work showed 

 that even when conditions seemed different than those usually -observed the 

 diagnosis of anthrax in pigs could be substantiated by the precipitin reaction. 

 Very often when negative cases are reported with the positive material some 

 experimental error has crept into the process. 



Aggressin immunization against blackleg, O. Schobl (Cetitbl. BaJct, [etc.], 

 1. Abt., Orig., 62 (1912), No. 3-4, pp. 296-50^).— Previously noted from another 

 source (E. S. R., 27, p. 80). 



The milk from cows affected with foot-and-mouth disease, H. Bertin-Sans 

 and E. Gaujoux (Rev. Gen. Lait, 9 (1912), No. 7, pp. 145-151).— This is a study 

 of the milk obtained from 10 cows suffering from foot-and-mouth disease and 

 comprises the determination of the freezing point, acidity, catalase, and re- 

 ductase. 



