1917] VETEEINARY MEDICINE. 379 



Magnesium hypochlorite in surgery, M. Dubabd (Bui. Acad. MM. [Paris'^, 

 16 {1916), No. 33, pp. 134-136; abs. in Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc, 61 (1916), No. 

 15, p. 1118). — ^A 1 to 2.5 per cent solution of magnesium hypochlorite was found 

 to be absolutely harmless, while its bactericidal power was considerable and 

 its preparation simple and inexpensive. As a disinfectant for the wounded in 

 the European War it has proved superior to any others, including Dakin's fluid. 



The standardization of disinfectants. — A critical comparison of the Hy- 

 gienic Laboratory and E-ideal-Walker tests, J. T. A. Walker (N. Y. Med. 

 Jour., 103 (1916), No. 11, pp. 500-505). — From a general consideration of the 

 various features of the two methods the author considers the Rideal-Walker 

 method to be superior to the Hygienic Laboratory method in every respect. 



A method of anaerobic plating permitting observation of growth, H. M. 

 Jones (Jour. Bact., 1 (1916), No. 3, pp. 339-341, fig. i).— The construction of a 

 simple apparatus, which consists of one-half of a Petri dish sealed with paraffin 

 on a square stone or metal base provided with an inlet for the inert gas and 

 an outlet for the displaced gas, and its manipulation are described in detail. 



A comparative study of colon bacilli isolated from horse, cow, and man, 

 T. J. MuERAY (Jour. Infect. Diseases, 19 (1916), No. 2, pp. 161-114, figs. 2). — 

 " On an average the different types of strains, human, bovine, and equine, 

 exhibit a remarkable similarity in all reactions tested, chiefly in acid produc- 

 tion. One remarkable exception was the ability of 24 strains of bovine colon 

 bacilli to produce acid in inulin media. The other differences were not marked 

 enough to be of value." 



An experimental investigation into the role of the blood fl.uids in the in- 

 tracellular digestion of certain bacteria and red blood corpuscles, S. R. 

 Douglas (Proc. Roy. Soc. [London], Ser. B, 89 (1916), No. B 611, pp. 335-341).— 

 Experiments are reported in detail, the results of which show that the blood 

 fluids have the property of influencing the digestion of such bodies as red 

 corpuscles and bacteria taken up by the leucocytes. The action of the blood 

 fluids is quite independent of the opsonic action, since the intracellular diges- 

 tion may be more marked as the result of the action of a serum of low opsonic 

 power than that of a serum of a much higher opsonic power. 



" The power of the blood fluids to prepare such bodies as red blood cells or 

 bacteria for digestion by solutions such as trypsin and leucoprotease, or by the 

 digestive fluids which are secreted after such bodies are ingested by the leu- 

 cocytes, is not . . . due to stimulation of or an action on the leucocytes, but is 

 due to a direct action on the bacteria, or, as the case may be, the red blood 

 corpuscles. This is demonstrated by experiments in which the red blood cor- 

 puscles or bacteria, after being brought in contact with fresh serum, which was 

 subsequently removed, were found to be digested by solutions of trypsin or 

 leucoprotease, solutions which had been previously shown to be quite without 

 action." This property of the serum is destroyed by heating to 60° C. The 

 name *' protryptic " has been proposed for this property of the serum, as it 

 appears to prepare such bodies as red corpuscles and bacteria for solution by 

 the digestive fluids secreted by the leucocytes or by solutions of trypsin. 



The permeability of the gastro-intestinal wall to infection with Sporo- 

 thrix schenckii, D. J. Davis (Jour. Infect. Diseases, 19 (1916), No. 5, pp. 688- 

 693). — The work reported indicates that white rats fed at intervals of a few 

 days with large quantities of cultures of S. schenckii may become infected. 

 The infection tends to localize in the mesentery, peritoneum, and spleen. The 

 organisms also appear to penetrate the normal mucosa of the intestinal tract. 

 No active or healed lesions were visible in the mucosa or in the wall of the 

 stomach or intestines. 



