190 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



tures of the material were then made on gelatin and agar media and inoculation 

 experiments were tried on guinea pigs and mice. In the material of bovine origin 

 a demonstration of anthrax bacillus was secured, both through cultures and through 

 inoculation experiments. In the material of human origin the demonstration was 

 successful only in the inoculation experiments in the mouse. In the other cases, 

 where material came from man and from the horse, inoculation experiments gave 

 negative results, while anthrax colonies developed upon tlie culture media. The 

 author concludes from his experiments that it is desirable to use both the culture 

 and inoculation methods for demonstrating the anthrax bacillus, and that in some 

 cases the inoculation method is the more sensitive test, while in others the culture 

 method is the better. 



The relation of the g-ermicidal power of rabbit serum, to anthrax infection, 

 M. Wilde [Ztschr. IL/r/. u. Iitfedionskrank., 37 (1901), No. 3, pp. 476-496).— As the 

 result of experiments on this subject the author concludes that anthrax bacilli 

 first ai^pear in the blood during the crisis of the disease. At this time, while anthrax 

 bacilli can be readily demonstrated in large numbers in the blood, the germicidal 

 power of the blood is either entirely lost or rapidly disappearing. Besides alexins, 

 there exists in the blood of most rabbits another body, which is antagonistic only to 

 the anthrax bacillus and which is not destroyed by heating for one-half hour at a 

 temperature of 57° C, but requires for its destruction an exposure to that tempera- 

 ture for a period of 24 hours. 



Epizootic or contagious abortion, J. ^NIcFadyeax [Jour. Roy. Agr. Soc. Eiu/land, 

 62 {1901), pp. 96-112). — A general discussion is given to the various conditions which 

 may bring about abortion, but especial attention is given to the contagious form. 

 The means of dissemination of the disease are Iniefly mentioned and an account is 

 given of some experiments conducted in England on this subject. The disease is of 

 most frequent occurrence in cows, but may become more or less serious in mares and 

 ewes. Strict measures are necessary in order to prevent the spread of the disease 

 when once it has become introduced in herds of cattle, horses, or sheep. The use of 

 disinfectants in such cases is recommended. 



Treatment of contagious mammitis in cows, E. Zschokke {Jovr. Agricole 

 [Paris'], 13 [1901), No. 141, pp. 212-214). — After an extended investigation of the 

 symptoms and pathological anatomy of this disease the author calls attention to the 

 great variation in symptoms and consequent difficulty in reaching a reliable diagnosis 

 in a large number of cases. The experience of the author in artificial treatment of 

 the disease was not very satisfactory, and it is urged that where only one quarter of 

 the udder is affected, this part should not be milked after the disease has developed 

 far enough to be recognized. By milking the affected quarter great danger is pre- 

 sented of transmitting the infection to other parts of the udder. In a large propor- 

 tion of cases recovery takes place, whether artificial treatment is applied or not, but 

 in cases of sijontaneous recovery, as well as in those which are treated, the part of 

 the udder which is affected is likely to become nonfunctional. In a large i^roi^ortion 

 of cases, therefore, all that can be done is to prevent the spread of the disease to other 

 parts of the udder. 



Mortality among calves in Munster, E. Nocard [Dept. Agr. and Tech. Tnsfr. 

 Ireland, Bid. 1, 1901, iip. 11.5). — This bulletin contains a rei)ort by Professor Xocard in 

 French, with a translation into English, upon the subject of "white scour" and 

 "lung disease" among calves in Ireland. The bulletin also contains observations 

 made by A. E. Mettam and T. Wade on the same subject. During these researches 

 it was shown that "white scour" and "lung disease" in calves are different symp- 

 toms of one and the same disease. The disease is caused by a specific micro-organism 

 belonging to the genus Pasteurella and identical with that which causes farcinous 

 lymphangitis in horses and caseous broncho-pneumonia in sheep. The micro-organ- 

 ism gains an entrance to calves at the time of birth through the umbilicus, and the 



