80 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.38 



dissolves at 37° and reappears if the temperature is again brought down to 0'. 

 When antigen, antiserum, and complement are mixed, the euglobulin of the 

 guinea-pig serum is adsorbed by the particles of the precipitate. The formation 

 of this adsorption compound is favored by keeping the mixture at a low tem- 

 perature. These observations explain the fact that more complement is fixed at 

 0° than at 37°. 



" The formation of an adsorption compound in a mixture of antigen, anti- 

 serum, and guinea-pig serum is an essential part of the mechanism of comple- 

 ment fixation. Where the antigen is a cell which can be lysed, the effect of the 

 formation of the adsorption compound is to concentrate at the surface of the 

 cell the active or lytic component of the complement. The subsequent reaction 

 which involves the lysis of the cell is, of course, favored by a relatively high 

 temperature." 



The data are submitted in tabular and graphical form. 



Preservation of complement. — A preliminary report, B. W. Rhamy (Jmir. 

 Amer. Med. Assoc, 69 (1917), No. 12, pp. 973, 974).— The author has found 

 that complement diluted to 40 per cent with 10 per cent sodium acetate in 0.9 

 per cent sodium chlorid solution will keep perfectly until used in ordinary 

 routine work. A sample of guinea-pig serum so diluted, which showed a unit 

 of 0.1, one month afterwards showed a unit of 0.125. 



Anthrax in the Territory of Hawaii, V. A. Nokgaabd {Hawaii. Forester 

 and Agr., 14 (1917), No. 6, pp. 156-165). — An outbreak of anthrax at Hanalei, 

 Kauai, is recorded and a general account given of the disease and directions for 

 its control. 



The susceptibility of the prairie dog to rabies, G. Waxtebs {Jour. Amer. 

 Yet. Med. Assoc., 51 (1917), No. 5, pp. 702-704) .—The inoculation of several 

 prairie dogs with rabies virus resulted in fairly typical symptoms, although a 

 thorough search of the literature failed to show any previous record of rabies 

 infection among them. Attention is called to the ease witli which the disease 

 might be spread among prairie dogs by coyotes or other enemies and thence to 

 other animals which come in contact with them offensively. 



Rinderpest in swine with experiments upon its transmission from, cattle 

 and carabao to swine and vice versa, W. H. Boynton (Philippine Jour. Sci., 

 Sect. B, 11 (1916), No. 5, pp. 215-265, pis. 2, figs. iO).— This material has been 

 previously noted from another source (E. S. R., 37, p. 79). 



The recent outbreak of vesicular stomatitis, A. A. Leibold (Vet. Alumni 

 Quart. [Ohio State Univ.'], 4 (1917), No. 4, pp. 1S2-1S4). — A report of observa- 

 tions made during the course of an epizootic outbreak of the disease, particu- 

 larly among horses, though some cattle were affected, in Utah, Nebraska, Colo- 

 rado, Missouri, and northern Illinois in the fall of 1916. 



The sensitiveness of tubercle and other acid-fast bacilli to sccids, A. E. 

 Porter (Jour. Hyg. [Cambridge], 16 (1917), No. 1, pp. 66-68).— In the study 

 reported a very great difference in sensitiveness to both organic and inorganic 

 acids was observed between tubercle and other acid-fast bacilli. Tubercle 

 bacilli were killed in 24 hours by tenth-normal acid, but could resist more dilute 

 acid, while other acid-fast bacilli were killed by ^normal acid. No difference 

 could be observed between the action of inorganic and soluble organic acid upon 

 the bacilli. A difference between soluble and insoluble fatty acids was, how- 

 ever, observed. If the Insoluble acid was in a fine emulsion and was shaken 

 with the bacilli bacteriolysis occurred. Acid-fast bacilli other than the tubercle, 

 although more sensitive to lower acids, were less affected by the insoluble fatty 

 acids. No difference was observed in sensitiveness between human and bovine 

 bacilli. 



