496 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



miniber of radiographs were taken, 8onie of whieh are reproduced in the text. It 

 appears from the author's observations that the presence of even small tubercles in 

 the lungs may be detected by the use of X-rays. The tubercles may be discovered 

 in this way with considerable certainty as soon as calcification takes place. In 

 advan(;ed cases of tuberculosis, in which the clinical symptoms of the disease are not 

 pronounced and in which tuberculin fails to give a reaction, the use of X-rays fur- 

 nishes a valuaV)le means for detecting the tuberi'ulous foci in the lungs or other 

 organs. 



Culture and biology of tlie tubercle bacillus, H. Menzi {Zischr. Ilyg. u. Infec- 

 tionskraitk., 39 ( 190/), Xo. o, pp. 407-4J7) . — The author undertook experiments to test 

 the validity of results obtained by Dr. W. Hesse in cultivating tubercle liacillus upon 

 an agar medium to which Heyden's nutrient material was added. As a result of 

 numerous experiments it was found that the Hesse agar is a good nutrient medium 

 for pure cultures of tubercle bacilli, being about equal to the blood of cattle. In the 

 author's experiments the virulence of the tubercle bacillus was retained for several 

 months upon a Hesse agar without exhibiting any pronounced increase or attenua- 

 tion. With the use of this nutrient medium it was found possible to observe an 

 increase in the tubercle bacilli in the sputum in a few days. If, however, the number 

 of bacilli in the sputum was very small, it proved a difficult matter to follow their 

 development upon the Hesse agar and this nutrient medium was found to possess no 

 advantage over direct microscopic investigations for this purpose. The organisms 

 which are associated with tubercle bacilli are somewhat checked in their develop- 

 ment by the Hesse agar, but not sufficiently to allow small colonies of tubercle bacilli 

 to be readily distinguished. The author argues, therefore, that we have no generally 

 applicable method for isolating tubercle bacilli except that of inoculation of experi- 

 mental animals. 



Studies on the action of urea and ammonium carbonate on cultures of 

 tubercle bacillus in bouillon, Rati'in' {('umjit. Rnul. Soc Biol. Paris, 54 {1902), 

 No. 10, pp. 318-S20). — In this paper the results previously obtained by the author 

 are confirmed. It was found that urea in the proportion of 0.003 or 0.005 gm. to 1 gm. 

 per 100 gm. of bouillon exercised a restraining influence upon the development of 

 the tubercle bacillus. This effect of the urea was destroyed by the addition of glu- 

 cose in the proportion of 5 parts in 100 of bouillon. Similar results were obtained 

 by the use of ammonium carbonate, the latter substance checking the development 

 of tubercle bacillus, even more than did urea. An antiseptic effect was observed 

 when used in the ])ropi)rtion of 0.001 gm. to 100 gm. of bouillon. 



The resisting power of buflfaloes against experimental tuberculosis, ^I. 

 Prettner (Ceathl. Bakt. u. Par., 1. Abt., 31 [1902), Xo. U, Orig., pp. 681-6SC).—X 

 number of experiments were conducted for the purpose of testing the resisting power 

 of these animals to tuberculosis. During these experiments it was found that buffaloes 

 were remarkably refractory to inoculation with tuberculosis material in general, and 

 that they showed complete immunity against inoculation with artificial cultures. Pure 

 cultures acted as if they were attenuated when inoculated into buffaloes. It is stated 

 that among 5,000 buffaloes slaughtered for meat which were inspected by the author, 

 no case <jf tuberculosis was observed. 



The effect of tubercle bacilli introduced in the trachea upon the lungs of 

 rabbits, K. Watan.\ke [Beitr. Path. Anut. u. Ally. Path., 31 {1902), Xo. 2, pp. 367- 

 382, fujx. 7). — The author's experiments consisted in making intratracheal injections 

 of tubercle bacilli in ral)bits and studying, by means of microscopic preparations, the 

 alterations which the bacilli caused in the lungs at varying periods of time. It was 

 found that the tubercle V)acilli first attacked the epithelial elements of the minute 

 bronchi and alveoli. In these situations swelling and separation of epithelial cells 

 are occasioned. Simultaneously a serous exudation occurs and an accumulation of 

 polynuclear leucocytes. The first stage of infection is, therefore, a sort of catarrhal 



