VETERINARY SCIENCE AND PRACTICE. 8 IS 



this? material bacteria were again oljtained in pure cultures. Close observation of the 

 conditions, however, shows that the number of organisms present in inoculated ani- 

 mals gradually diminishes. 



Combating tuberculosis in hogs by means of tuberculin tests, Tuiko {Dent. 

 Thierarztl. Wchiiftdir., 10 {190.'), Xo. K', pp. 114-116). — Fatal epizootics were observed 

 by the author in a number of herds of jiigs. In such outbreaks many young sucking- 

 pigs were fatally affected, and the owners of the herds were finally prevailed upon to- 

 permit the general application of the tuberculin test to the brood sows. During these 

 experiments it was found that the normal temperature of hogs varied from 37.6 to- 

 40.6° C. in different animals, with an average of about 39.8° C. In a number of pigs 

 tuberculosis could be diagnosed from external symptoms without the tuberculin test. 

 Tuberculin injections, however, were made without reference to the extent of the 

 disease. According to the author's observations tuberculosis was found in a numljer 

 of forms, including alimentary tuberculosis with gradual emaciation, anemia, arched 

 back, puhnonary tuberculosis with short, dry cough and rapid breathing, and cere- 

 bral tuberculosis accompanied with spasms, paralysis, and falling fits. The rise of 

 temperature in tuberculous pigs after tuberculin injection ranged from IJ to 8° C. 

 The author considers that a rise of 1° C. is necessary in order to be sure of the pres- 

 ence of tuberculosis. In adjusting the amount of tuberculin to the size or age of the- 

 hog, the author found it desirable to disregard the size and administer doses accord- 

 ing to age. The following doses are recommended: For pigs 4 months olil, 0.1 cc. ; 

 9 months old, 0.15 cc. to 0.2 cc. ; 18 months old, 0.25 cc. ; older animals, 0.3 cc Of 

 the 87 hogs which were inoculated 24 reacted, and of these 24, 21, or 88 jier cent,, 

 were found to be tuberculous. 



Observations on the electrical resistance and index of refraction of tetanus- 

 toxin, DoxGiER and Les.vge [Cunijit. Rend. Acad. Sci. Paris, 135 {190J), No. 6, pp^ 

 oJ9, S-W). — During a series of experiments with cultures of tetanus bacillus it was 

 found that when this organism was cultivated in bouillon the electrical resistance of 

 the medium was somewhat reduced. This effect persisted after the bacilli had been 

 removed by filtration. It appears, therefore, that the diminution in electrical resist- 

 ance is due to changes produced in the medium by the growth of the tetanus bacillus- 

 No characteristic differences in the index of refraction were observed in media in 

 which tetanus bacillus was growing or in the same material after boihng. 



The disappearance of anthrax bacilli in normal lungs, J. J. Snel {Ztsdir. 

 Ht/g. u. Lifectionskrank., 40 {1903), No. 1, pp. 103-133). — A critical discussion of the 

 literature of this subject is given in connection with a bibliography of 50 titles. The 

 author's experiments were designed to obtain evidence in the question of frequency 

 of infection of normal lungs by bacteria floating in the atmospheric air. At first 

 experiments were made with a Pravaz syringe which was inserted between two rings 

 of the trachea. It was found, however, that an infection took place in every case 

 through the wound. Experiments of a similar nature were tried after exposing a 

 portion of the trachea and burning an opening with a small needle. The same 

 results occurred as with the tirst-named method. The attempt was then made to 

 introduce cultures in gelatin tubes, leaving the tubes in the opening in the trachea. 

 It was believed that infection by the previous methods had taken place while the 

 needle or syringe was being removed. In experiments with the gelatin tubes, how- 

 ever, the wound infection regularly took place. The experimental anmials in these 

 and the succeeding experiments were guinea pigs, and the organism with which the 

 experiments were made was the anthrax bacillus obtained from a case of malignant' 

 pustule in man. When it appearetl certain that satisfactory experiments could not 

 be made by injection directly through the trachea, anthrax bacilli were injected into 

 the upper end of the trachea through the mouth, care being exercised not to cause 

 any injurj^ to the mucous membrane. It was found that all possible precautions must 

 be exercised even in the application of this method to prevent abrasion of the mem- 



