378 EXPERIMENT STATION RECOED. 



Tuberculosis in swine, L. E. Carter (Iowa St a. Bnl. 92. popular ed., pp. 

 11). — A popular edition of the above. 



The use of Eontgen rays in the inspection of tuberculous meat, H. Martel 

 (Coinpt. Rend. Acad. Sci. [Paris]. IJ,', (1907), Ao. 23, pp. 1208-1.300).— The 

 tuberculous lesions of pork and beef commonly contain deposits of lime salts. 

 It was suggested to the author to test the possible value of X-rays in tbe Identi- 

 fication of tubercles, particularly in lymphatic glands so situated that their 

 examination by the ordinary methods would necessitate so cutting the meat as 

 to depreciate its market value. It was found that the shadows obtained from 

 the use of X-rays were very different in the case of tuberculous glands from 

 those of glands surrounded by large quantities of fat. While dense masses of 

 fat produce a shadow, the shadow is uniform rather than granular, as is the 

 case when lime salts are deposited. 



Anthrax, W. C. Patrick (Jour. Roy. Inst. Pul). Health, 15 (1901), No. 5, 

 pp. 279-285.) — The symptoms and post-mortem lesions of this disease are briefly 

 described. Attention is called to its prevalence in the various parts of Great 

 Britain and to its occurrence in man. It is suggested that on account of the 

 imperfect system of meat inspection in England, excejit in large cities, it is pos- 

 sible for the meat of the animals affected with anthrax to be offered for sale 

 in public markets. 



The filterability of hog cholera bacilli, L. F. D. E. Lourens (Centbl. Bakt. 

 {etc.]. 1. AM., Orifj., U (1907), Xo.s. 5, pp. J,20-J,27 ; 6, pp. 50^-512; 7, pp. 630- 

 GJi8, figs. 5). — An elaborate review is given of the results obtained by different 

 investigators in the study of the biology and pathogenic properties of the hog 

 cholera bacillus. Recently an unusual interest has been added to this study 

 by reason of the discovery by the Bureau of Animal Industry of this Depart- 

 ment that hog cholera may be produced by inoculating susceptible animals with 

 filtrates from infected organs and from pure cultures of the hog cholera bacil- 

 lus. These results have been confirmed by a number of investigators in other 

 countries. In fact in South Africa, A. Theiler was unable to find the hog 

 cholera bacillus in the form of the disease which prevails in that country. 



At the beginning of his investigations the author suspected that aggressins 

 might be present in the filtrates from infected organs and cultures of hog 

 cholera bacilli, which render the animals so susceptible to the disease that the 

 slightest infection with the hog cholera bacillus would produce the symptoms 

 of the disease, while without the influence of aggressins no infection would 

 have taken place. To this end material obtained from the organs of hogs af- 

 fected with chronic or acute hog cholera was passed through various filters 

 including the Chamberland, Berkefeld, and Kitasato forms. In inoculation ex- 

 periments with this material the results were sometimes positive and some- 

 times negative. Further experiments were then carried on to determine 

 whether the hog cholera bacilli could themselves pass through the filters. It 

 was found that hog cholera could be produced in hogs as a result of inoculation 

 with filtrates which were apparently free from bacteria at the time of inocula- 

 tion and that subsequently hog cholera bacilli appeared in these animals. 



A number of other experiments were carried on with filtrates from pure 

 cultures of hog cholera bacilli and positive infections were produced. In the 

 author's opinion the hog cholera bacillus may pass through the Chamberland, 

 Berkefeld, or Pukall filter. The extent to which such passage through filters 

 takes place depends largely upon the treatment of the filters and the fluid in 

 which the filtrate is diluted. 



The explanation of the passage of hog cholera bacilli through filters pre- 

 viously shown to be too fine for the passage of bacteria of normal size is be- 

 lieved to be found in the granulation of these bacilli, as repeatedly observed 



