682 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOED. 



making it paiuful to masticate and swallow food. The bowels act often and 

 feces are usually greenish in color. The action of the kidneys is increased 

 slightly and color of urine is normal. . . . There is little doubt that numerous 

 cases of oleander poisoning have never been brought to light because of death 

 being attributed to other sources. It is safe to say, however, that many hun- 

 dreds of animals have been lost in southern Arizona from this shrub." 



There is said to be little or no treatment that can be offered once the animal 

 has received a fatal dose. When oleander has been taken by human beings 

 an emetic may be used with more or less success if given promptly. It is 

 recommended that other plants such as pomegranate, Japanese, California, and 

 Amoor Kiver privets, common myrtle, laurustinus {Viburnum tinus), and 

 tamarisk be planted for hedge, screen, and ornamental purposes in place of the 

 oleander. 



Checking- the ravages of loco, C. D. Marsh (Amer. Rev. of Reviews, 40 

 {1909), No. 2, pp. 191-196, figs. Ui). — A popular account of this disease based 

 upon investigations conducted by the Bureau of Plant Industry of this Depart- 

 ment, previously noted (E. S. R., 21, p. 484). 



Diplodia disease of maize (suspected cause of pellagra), E. F. Smith and 

 Florence Hedges {Science, n. ser., 30 {1909), No. 75S, pp. 60, 61). — It is sug- 

 gested that this fungus may also be the cause of the so-called cornstalk disease 

 prevalent among cattle in the West. 



Surra hi the Federated Malay States, H. Fbasee and S. L. Symonds (Jour. 

 Compar. Path, and Ther., 22 {1909), No. 2, i)p. 185-192) .—The first case of 

 surra in the Federated Malay States was rejiorted in 1903. It has since been 

 observed from time to time in horses, cattle, and dogs. An outbreak in 1905 

 was responsible for the death of 43 ponies. Mechanical transmission of the 

 disease was effected by four species of flies of the genus Tabanus, but not by 

 flies of the genus Stomoxys. The disease is only met with in horses stabled in 

 the vicinity of the jungle, where flies of the species Tabanus fumifer are 

 found. 



Experiments conducted with the view of determining whether or not the life 

 cycle of the trypanosomes was carried out by biting flies were inconclusive, but 

 appear to show that the trypanosomes are not found in the gastro-intestinal 

 contents of infected flies after 24 hours. Treatment by means of atoxyl, mer- 

 curic chlorid, and tartarated antimony was not encouraging. While the para- 

 sites could be caused to disappear from the peripheral circulation and the 

 health of the animal much improved, these results were only temporary. 



Occult tuberculosis, H. Vallee {Rec. Med. V4t., 86 {1909), No. 3, pp. 106- 

 117; Jour. Compar. Path, and Ther., 22 {1909), No. 2, pp. 133-1^0) .—Attention 

 is called to the fact that in animals, as in man, the invasion of gland tissue by 

 Koch's bacillus does not always lead to the rapid production of macroscopic 

 lesions, this temporary condition of infection by the bacilli being capable of ex- 

 isting for a variable and sometimes a very long time. While to this particular 

 condition of gland infection German authors have applied the term " latent 

 tuberculosis " the author considers " occult tuberculosis " a better one. 



The author believes that clinically occult tuberculosis may represent any of 

 the following: "Tuberculosis resulting from a recent infection (when one finds 

 it in animals free from macroscopic lesions) ; tuberculosis in the process of form- 

 ing local lesions by extension from- preexisting lesions elsewhere in the animal 

 examined; latent or dormant infections with the bacilli, the clinical manifesta- 

 tion of which (the formation of tubercles) is retarded by a local or general con- 

 dition of immunity, either experimental or natural, as in the case of cattle 

 inoculated with human bacilli tested by inoculation with bovine bacilli 

 after bovovaccinatiou, or calves infected by the ingestion of virulent milk." 



