194 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



manner it was of sufficient virulence, in doses of ^ cc, to kill pigeons in 18 hours 

 when inoculated in the conjunctiva of the eyelid. Still further operations of this 

 sort rendered the organism of sufficient virulence to kill rabbits, chickens, and other 

 small experimental animals. Notes are given on the pathological changes produced 

 by inoculations of the organisms. During these experiments the same symptoms 

 were produced as those observed in cases of natural infection. It was found possible 

 to vaccinate chickens against roup by means of 2 injections. The first injection was 

 made with a virulent culture 24 hours old in bouillon after heating to a temperature 

 of 55" C. for 1 hour. The organism is killed by this process. The second injection 

 should follow 12 hours after the first, and should be made with a virulent culture of 

 the same age, exposed for 1 hour to a temperature of 50° C. Both injections are 

 made in doses of i cc. Within from 12 to 15 hours after the second inoculation the 

 animal possesses complete resisting power to fatal doses of the virulent organism. 



From horses which were previously immunized a serum was obtained of remark- 

 able antitoxic power. Two inoculations of the serum are necessary at intervals of 

 24 hours. 



The relation of the agglutinins to the protective bodies, A. Castellani 

 {Ztschr. Hyg. u. Infedionskrank., 37 {1901), No. 3, pp. SSl-392).—¥or studying the 

 relationship between these two substances the author made experiments on rabbits, , 

 using the bacillus of dysenterj'. It is concluded that the agglutinating substance and 

 l^rotective bodies I'eact in the same manner toward chemical and physical influences. 

 There is no parallelism between the development of the agglutinating and immuniz- 

 ing power in the living body. In immunized animals during the first few days the 

 serum is always richer in agglutinins than the spleen, while the spleen contains more 

 of the protective bodies. The author believes that the view that a close relationship 

 exists between the protective and agglutinating substances must be abandoned. 



Comparative experiments on the reliability of different methods of disin- 

 fecting by means of formaldehyde, A. Reischauee {Hyg. Rundschau, 11 {1901), 

 Xo. 13, pp. 63G-6-55). — The author i-onducted extensive experiments with various 

 forms of apparatus which have been reconnnended for producing formaldehyde gas 

 for disinfecting purposes. From these experiments it is concluded that there is a 

 large variety of apparatus by which formaldehyde gas may be generated in sufficient 

 quantity and distributed uniformly in an active condition throughout the space to be 

 disinfected. The generation of the gas is not very expensive. It is apparent, how- 

 ever, that the general application of this method of disinfection has two disadvantages, 

 in that formaldehyde gas is not capable of destroying bacteria in the spore form, and 

 does not penetrate clothing, carpets, and other similar material to an extent which 

 renders certain the destruction of bacteria in such situations. A l;)ibliography of 156 

 titles is appended to the article. 



The grass pea (Iiathyrus sativus), F. T. Shutt {Canada Expt. Farms Rpts. 

 1901, pp. 183-1S5) . — A request was made of the chemist to investigate statements 

 which have obtained some currency to the effect that the grass pea possesses poison- 

 ous equalities. In times of famine, when the natives of India live largely upon the 

 seed of this pea, a disease develops, apparently as a result of this diet, which is known 

 as lathyrismus. Careful analyses were made by the author of considerable quantities 

 of the seed of this pea, but all results were negative, no alkaloid or other poisonous 

 principle being found. A feeding experiment was then conducted with a rooster and 

 hen Avhich were fed almost exclusively on grass peas for a period of 72 days. The 

 fowls ate on an average from 2h to 2| oz. per day. No poisonous effects were pro- 

 duced by this diet, and all data collected by the chemist indicate that the grass pea 

 raised in Canada is not poisonous. 



Index-catalogue of medical and veterinary zoology, C. W. Stiles and A. 

 Hassall {U. S. Dept. Agr., Bureau of ^■Inimal LiduMry Bui. 39, pt. 1, p)p. 46) • — In this 

 part, of the bulletin a beginning is made of the publication of the card index in the 



