92 EXPEEIMENT STATION RECORD. 



ments: Anthrax bacilli, even when present in large quantities in the body cavity of 

 guinea pigs, are frequently destroyed. The animal does not acquire immunity, how- 

 ever, during this process. In some cases, when the experimental animal succumbed 

 to hypodermic inoculations of the anthrax bacillus, the peritoneum killed all the 

 bacilli which were in the body cavity. If the anthrax bacillus is absorbed from the 

 body cavity, it is fatal to the experimental animal, but the resorption of the serous 

 fluid of the body cavity may be beneficial to the animal. The germicide action of 

 the peritoneum is influenced to considerable extent by the presence of foreign bodies 

 or a large quantity of fluid in the body cavity. Wandering cells seemed not to exer- 

 cise any great influence on the anthrax bacillus, and no pronounced phagocytosis 

 was observed. 



Anthrax among city horses^ J. McFadyean {Jour. Comp. Path, and Ther., 13 

 {1900), No. 4, pp- 344-345). — The author gives brief notes on 2 cases of anthrax in 

 horses. The source of infection was not definitely ascertained, but it was found that 

 the 2 animals had eaten oats from the same source, and the disease might possibly 

 have been carried in this way. 



Report on the work of the bacteriolog'ical station of the Kharkov Veteri- 

 nary Institute in 1899, A. Rayevski {Selsk. Khoz. i Lyesov., 197 {1900), June, pp. 

 643-65'J) .—Dxxring the year 1899, 238 liters of the first and 122 of the second anthrax 

 vaccine were prepared and used in the inoculation of sheep, horses, and cattle in 

 various parts of European Russia. The mortality from vaccination was 0.38 per 

 cent in sheep, 0.04 per cent in cattle, and 0.29 per cent in horses. 



The decomposition of peroxid of hydrogen by animal tissues and by bac- 

 terial organisms, B. Danilewsky {Fln/siologiste Euxse, 2 {1900), No. 21-25, pp. 

 12-15). — In testing the effect of bacteria upon peroxid of hydrogen, the author made 

 use of pure cultures of the anthrax bacillus on agar-agar. These cultures contained 

 spores. It was found that the anthrax bacillus at ordinary temperatures decomposes 

 peroxid of hydrogen, but loses this power to considerable degree after having been 

 heated for from I to 1 hour at a temperature of 55 to 60° C. The anthrax bacillus 

 was found to be very sensitive to alcohol, which weakened its power of decomposing 

 peroxid of hydrogen. A numbei of experiments were made in determining the effect 

 of ether, chloroform, corrosive sublimate, formaldehyde, and carbolic acid upon the 

 anthrax bacillus. 



Spore formation of the anthrax bacillus under anaerobic conditions, A. 

 Klett {Zischr. Hyg. u. Infediomkmnk., 35 {1900), No. 3, pp. 4J0-43S). — The results 

 of the author's experiments may be summarized as follows: Spore formation in the 

 anthrax bacillus is not dependent upon the presence of oxygen. Anthrax bacilli 

 were found to form spores abundantly in an atmosphere of nitrogen. Spores were 

 not formed in an atmosphere of hydrogen on account of the injurious effect of 

 hydrogen upon the bacillus. The author believes that the term " anaerobiosis " 

 should be more definitely characterized by reference to all the conditions which are 

 concerned in any particular case. 



A new staining method for demonstrating the so-called capsule of the 

 anthrax bacillus, W. Raebigek {Ztachr. luelsch n. M'dchhyg., 11 {1900), No. 3, pp. 

 68-70). — The author obtained unfavorable results by fixing the bacillus upon the 

 slide by means of the flame, and was most successful in using a 40 per cent aqueous 

 solution of formaldehyde for fixing the bacillus. The bacillus was then stained in 

 formalin stains — formalingentianviolet, formalinfuchsin. It was found that by this 

 method the anthrax bacillus could be readily differentiated from other organisms, 

 since the anthrax bacillus showed a conspicuous capsule. Even in decomposing 

 material where numerous bacteria of other species were present, a single anthrax 

 bacillus was readily detected. 



Immunization of the p.nthrax bacillus against the action of rat serum, 

 J. Danysz {Ann. Inst. Pasteur, 14 {1900), No. 10, pp. 641-655),— ThQ author con- 



