VETEKINARY SCIENCE AND PRACTICE. 893 



bacillus differed in soino respects from the ordinary tnljercle bacillus, l»nt produced 

 the ]>earl disease when inoculated into guinea pijjs. Attention is called to the acid- 

 proof bacteria which have been found in considerable abundance in milk and Imtter, 

 and which differ in several particulars from the true tubercle bacillus. The butter 

 bacillus, however, is ordinarily acid-proof. When inoculated into the common 

 experimental animals, the acid-proof bacteria have the one connnon characteristic, 

 that they produce tubercles. The tubercles produced by the true tubercle Imcillus 

 may a ways be distinguished, however, by careful examination from those caused by 

 the bacillus of pseudotuberculosis. The latter tul)ercles show a less ac-tive jirolifera- 

 tion,and are more of an exudative character, with a tendency to the formation of an 

 abscess. A bibliography of the subject is appended to the article. 



Staining tubercle bacilli and spores by means of percarbonate of lime and 

 peroxid of hydrogen, A. Mui.i.kk {Cenlbl. lUdct. ti. Far., 1. Al>l., 2'.> {I'JOh), Xo. 20, 

 pp. 791-794). — As a result of the use of these substances as decolorizers the author 

 comes to the conclusion that the use of acids in treating cultures for identification of 

 tubercle bacilli stained with fuchsin may well be avoided, and replaced to good 

 advantage by the use of percarbonate of lime, or, still better, with alkaline peroxid of 

 hydrogen. Preparations of tubercle bacilli were not injured by prolonged exposure 

 to these decolorizing materials. The method is recommended as especially adapted 

 to the demonstration of tubercle bacilli when they exist in unusually small numbers. 

 For staining and demonstrating the presence of tubercle spores it is recommended 

 that the percarbonate of lime and alkaline peroxid of hydrogen be used to replace 

 the ordinary method with acids. The method as adopted by the author includes the 

 making of cover-glass preparations, staining wdth fuchsin, and then subjecting to the 

 action of percarbonate of lime in a 5 to 10 per cent solution for 15 minutes or longer. 

 The preparation is then washed with water and stained with methylene blue. The 

 process of decolorizing with peroxid of hydrogen is much more rapid than with 

 percarbonate of lime, and occupies only a few minutes. 



Studies on cattle plague, M. NicoLLEand Adil-Bey {Ann. Imt. Pasteur, 15 {1901), 

 No. 9, pp. 715-733). — Observations on this disease by the authors indicate that infec- 

 tion may pass from the mother to the young before birth. It was found that inocu- 

 lation with virulent cultures was uniforndy fatal to high-bred cattle and black races 

 of cattle, but was not fatal to native races of cattle. The latter race was able to 

 resist inoculation, whether by the subcutaneous, intravenous, or intratracheal meth- 

 ods. It appears, therefore, that a considerable difference of susceptibility to the 

 disease exists between different races of cattle. A buffalo which was inoculated 

 failed to develop the disease. With regard to the virulence of various fluids from 

 infected animals, it was found that aqueous humor produced the disease when inocu- 

 lated in (quantities of 1 cc, and sometimes when used in smaller doses of from ] to 

 J cc. The serum from the brain and spinal cord was of similar virulence. iSerum 

 from the body cavity produced a fatal disease in quantities of \ cc. Of the various 

 methods of inoculation it was found that the most severe and rapidly fatal cases were 

 produced V)y inoculation into the brain cavity. Several experiments were tried in 

 testing the influence of dilution upon the virus. It was found that gV cc. of blood 

 diluted in 1.5 cc. normal salt solution produced fatal disease when hypodermically 

 injected. It was found that the virus of cattle jilague was not very susceptil)]e to the 

 action of acids and was not readily attenuated under their influence. On the other 

 hand, desiccation reduced the virulence rapidly. When the virus was maintained 

 for four days at a temperature of 37° C. it was found by experiment on calves that 

 1 cc. of virus thus treated produced no infection, but was not sufficient to cause any 

 immunity. Experiments with Asiatic races of sheep showed that ordinary inocula- 

 tions in these animals produced only a slight fever reaction, but no serious infection. 

 Experiments with inoculation of the bile of diseased animals gave results which 

 varied to such an extent that no definite conclusions could be drawn. The applica- 



