VETERINARY SCIENCE AND PRACTICE. 789 



destroyed. The action of alexins upon bacteria varies according to the species of 

 micro-orp;anisni which is concerned. 



The process for collecting' and distributing large quantities of serum, 

 G. PouJOL {Cumpt. Raid. Sue. Biol. Park, 53 {1901), No. 14, pp. 424-427 , figs. 3).— 

 The author describes in detail an apparatus suitable for collecting blood in large 

 quantities and separating the serum, together with notes on accessary apparatus 

 necesi^ary for dividing the serum into equal quantities. 



Texas or acclimation fever, C. A. Gary {Alabama College Sta. Bui. 116, pp. 227- 

 289).— The author gives a general account of the nature of Texas fever, including 

 details concerning the blood parasite which causes the disease, the pathological 

 changes in the lilood, the quarantine line established by the Federal Government, 

 and the appearance and habits of the cattle tick. It is argued that ticks could be 

 exterminated in Alabama inside of 2 years if all cattle owners would put forth their 

 best efforts in this direction. One advantage to be derived from the extermination 

 of the ticks would be the unrestricted cattle trade with the North and with Europe 

 at all seasons of the year. If ticks were destroyed in certain localities only, other 

 Southern animals raised in localities where the tick no longer exists would not be 

 immune and would be subject to fatal attacks of the disease, provided the beasts 

 should become infested with ticks. Notes are given on the symptoms of Texas fever, 

 the appearance of the organs of animals dead with the disease, and the various methods 

 for producing immunity. The author undertook to immunize animals which might 

 be sent, to the station for that purpose. The results of these inoculations are pre- 

 sented in tabular form. Only one death occurred from a fata4 relapse after immunity 

 had apparently been produced. The author believes that one mistake was made in 

 that 3 full-blooded bulls which were inoculated for the purpose of rendering them 

 immune to Texas fever were not permitted to become infested with ticks early enough 

 in the following spring. . The danger of a too serious infestation of ticks later in the 

 season should always be borne in mind in connection with inoculation experiments. 

 The author believes that better results will be obtained if the second inoculation dose 

 contains 2\ cc. of defibrinated blood, rather than 1\. According to M. Francis, 

 whose opinion is quoted, the best age for inoculation is between a few months and 2 

 years, preferably about 1 year, and the best time of the year from November to 

 March. In the Texas experiments about 90 per cent of all Northern cattle which 

 were brought into the State and inoculated were successfully immunized agamst 

 the disease. 



Blackleg in Kansas, and protective inoculation, P. Fischer and A. T. Kinsley 

 {Kansas Sta. Bui. 105, pp. 27). — A general accoi nt is given of the occurrence, geo- 

 graphical distribution, cause, symptoms, and period of incubation of blackleg. 

 Brief notes are given on the influence of climatic conditions, breed, sex, and age of 

 animals upon the development of thedisea.se. The symptoms of anthrax, malignant 

 cedema, and septic metritis are given for the purpose of distinguishing these diseases 

 from blackleg. A historical account is presented of work of various authors in devis- 

 ing methods for vaccinating animals against this disease. At the station vaccination 

 was first made in 1898, according to the method of Arloing. From a total of 54,398 

 cattle vaccinated l)y this method 323, or less than 0.6 per cent died after vaccination. 

 The loss in an equal length of time before vaccination amounted to -4.23 per cent. A 

 few accidents were experienced from improper care in vaccinating. In the manu- 

 facture of single vaccine of a virulence intermediate between that of the 2 vaccines 

 which were used in the previous experiments the authors also secured good results. 

 Of 11,268 animals which were vaccinated 34, or about 0.3 per cent died after vaccina- 

 tion. In a similar number of animals during the same length of time 308, or 2.75 

 per cent died before inoculation. The authors believe that the double vaccination 

 is safer and more effective than the single vaccination. 



