VETERINARY SCIENCE AND PRACTICE. 191 



serum from recovered animals, nor that from animals which had been suV>jectecl to 

 a series of inoculations with constantly increasing doses of virulent blood, possessed 

 any appreciative curative action or antitoxic quality. Strengthened serum, when 

 mixed with a fatal dose of virulent blood, deprives the latter of its virulence; and it 

 appears from this experiment that such serum exerts a definite action on the virus. 

 The results were not, however, entirely uniform. While 100 cc. of strengthened 

 serum in mf)st cases prevented 1 cc. of virulent blood from producing any marked 

 elevation of temperature in tlie susceptililt' animal, 1 case was oljserved in which 

 this result was not obtained. 



Tlie study of the attenuation of rabies virus by means of heat, W. G. 

 ()r( HAKOFF (.l7v7/. Sci. Biol. [St. I'eti'rKlmiy], S [1900), Xu. 2, pp. 131-135). — The 

 author prepared an emulsion from the cerebro-spinal material of a rabliit which had 

 died of rabies. Water was then added, and the whole was passed through a sterile 

 filter. In the preliminary experiments the emulsion was separated into (juantities 

 of 8 cc. and placed in test tubes 1 cm. in diameter. These were then subjected for 

 15 minutes to temperatures of 40, 50, and 60° C. Inoculation experiments with the 

 virus thus treated showed that this virus was destroyed at a temperature l)etween 

 50 and 60° C. Further experiments showed that when the virus was subjected to a 

 temperature of 52° for a half hour it was only slightly attenuated. A temperature 

 of 5.")°. however, for 10 minutes greatly attenuated or completely destroyed the 

 virus. 



A new form of infectious lung disease in guinea pigs, F. Strada and R. 

 Traixa {VeniU. Bakt. ii. Far., 1. Aht., 28 {1900), No. 19. pp. 63.5-G4S).—A.n extended 

 out])reak of a very fatal lung disease was observed in guinea pigs, and since these 

 animals are of great imiiortance in all pathological laboratories for experimental 

 jairposes, the authors undertook an investigation of the nature and cause of the dis- 

 ease. Affected guinea i)igs were attacked by fits of coughing, accompanied with 

 asthmatic breathing. Post-mortem examinations showed that the lungs were unusu- 

 allv disteniled and of a dark brownish-red color, with a peculiar spotted appearance. 

 In some cases large yellowish-colored spots were observed on the surface of the lungs. 

 The lungs in nearly all cases were strongly hepatized. The spleen was normal 

 and kidnej'S congested. A micro-organism was isolated from the diseased animals 

 and described as new under the name Bacterium pneumoniie cariarum. Detailed 

 descriptions are given of the appearance of this organism and of its behavior on dif- 

 ferent culture media. A number of inoculation experiments were conducted, with 

 the result that the disease was reproduced with the .«ame symptoms which were 

 observed in cases of natural infection. 



Second outbreak of maladie du coit in Nebraska ( F. S. Dept. Agr., Bureau 

 of A)ii)nal Industry Rpt. 1899, j^p- 134-144)- — A report is made Ijy Dr. C. M. Day on 

 24 cases of this disease. 



Culture media for biochemic investigations, E. A. de Schweixitz ( U. S. Dept. 

 Atjr., Bureau of Animal Industry Rpt. 1899, pp. 14o, 146). — This article was previously 

 published in the Xeu- York Medical Journal for March, 1893. A culture medium 

 was used containing for every 1,000 cc. distilled water 0.2 gm. magnesium sulphate, 

 1 gm. acid potassium sulphate, 10 gm. annnonium sulphate, and 45 gm. glycerine. 

 This liquid was substituted for beef broth in the preparation of agar, or solid nutrient 

 media. For the tubercle l)acillus the solution of salts was used containing 7 i)er cent 

 of glycerine and 1 per cent of peptone, while for the glanders liacillus the media were 

 prepared in the same way, except that 5 per cent of glycerine was used. Later 

 asparagin was substituted for peptone. 



Artificial modifications of toxins, with special reference to immunity, J. w 

 Ritchie (Jour. Hyj. (Cainhridye), / (1901), Xo. 1, }>}>. l~'o-144)- — Extensive exi)eri- 

 ments on the effects of livdrochloric acid and alkalis. 



