486 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. IVol. S8 



little if any tinctorial variations were observed. Tlie methods of Gabbot, Ziehl- 

 Neelsen, Pappenlieim, and of Bunge and Trantenroth are not at all reliable as a 

 means of differentiating the tubercle bacillus from the rest of the acid-fast 

 group. Fonte's method seems to be much superior to the other methods, but 

 not entirely reliable in urine, and even in sputum examinations. The per- 

 centage of error can only be determined by much more extensive work. The 

 error of all of these methods seems to be that of giving too many positive 

 results." 



A note on Petroif' s cultural method for the isolation of tubercle bacilli 

 from sputum and its application to the examination of milk, F. Constance 

 Stewabt (Jour. Expt. Med., 26 (1917), No. 6, pp. 75.5-76i).— The author has ap- 

 plietl the Petroff method ^ for the isolation of tubercle bacilli from sputum to the 

 examination of milk. The milk to be tested was digested with an equal volume 

 of 3 per cent sodium hydroxid solution for from 20 to 30 minutes at 37° C. 

 After neutralizing and centrifuging, inoculations from both fat and sediment 

 layers were made on the gentian-violet-egg-meat-juice medium of Petroff. 



The organism was recovered from 69.2 per cent of the samples of milk arti- 

 ficially infected. Of 59 samples obtained from widely different sources 5 

 gave positive cultures, while 29 samples from the Connecticut Bacteriological 

 Laboratory gave negative tests. All of the organisms isolated were of the 

 bovine type. The author believes that with slight modifications, such as the 

 addition of certain amino acids, small amounts of sugar, and phosphates to the 

 Petroff medium, the method should prove constant and reliable for the isolation 

 of tubercle bacilli from milk. 



Tuberculosis in equines, E. M. Pickens (Cornell Yet., 8 (1918), No. 1, pp. 

 9-25, pis. 3). — The author has compiled from case reports and textbooks data 

 on equine tuberculosis, including history, occurrence, source and channels of 

 infection, symptoms, post-mortem findings, course, and diagnosis. Three typical 

 cases are described in detail. 



Infectious abortion in cows, F. M. Hayes (California Sta. Circ. 183 (1917), 

 pp. ^).— A popular summai'y of information. 



Bovine hematuria, S. Hadwen (Jour. Amer. Vet. Med. Assoc., 51 (1917), 

 No. 6, pp. 822-830). — This paper deals with the symptoms and pathology of the 

 disease and refers to experimental work. 



" Injections of dilute oxalic acid solutions provoke great irritation and subse- 

 quently the urine is stained with blood. Calcium oxalate crystals are formed 

 in the bladder as soon as the acid comes in contact with the urine and mucus. 

 After a time the urine becomes contaminated with bacteria which no doubt 

 play a part in aggravating and maintaining the lesions. It is probable that the 

 acid has a direct effect on the walls of the bladder as well as the crystals. Two 

 out of the three cases developed a disease indistinguishable from natural cases 

 of hematuria." 



The experiments are considered by the author to support the oxalic acid 

 theory of the causation of the disease, which he advanced in the report of the 

 veterinary director general of Canada for 1914 (E. S. R., 36, p. 179). 



Redwater or bloody urine in cattle, .J. W. Kalkus (Washington Sta., West. 

 Wash. Sta., Mo. Bui., 5 (1917), No. 0, pp. 127-129, fig. i).— This is a brief popu- 

 lar account of this disease and its treatment, a more detailed account of which 

 by the author has been previously noted (E. S. R., 30, p. 383). As regards the 

 cause of this disease, the author considers the oxalic acid theory of Hadwen, 

 above noted, to be the most plausible. 



ijour. Expt. Med., 21 (1915), No. 1, pp. 38-42. 



