482 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol. 40 



The tubercle bacillus antigen was found to be not anticomplementary in four 

 times the amount capable of producing positive complement fixation with sera 

 from the great majority of cases with active tuberculosis. 



Further studies on brisket disease, G. H. Glovei: and L. E. Newsox (Jour. 

 Ayr. Research [U. S.], 15 (1918), No. 7, pp. 409-413, pis. 3).— This is a report of 

 investigations at the Colorado Experiment Station iu continuation of those 

 previously noted (E. S. R., 37, p. 690). 



The authors' studies of 45 cases "tend to show that normal animals living 

 in a high altitude have a heavier heart than those living near sea level; that 

 animals affected with brisket disease had dilated, flabby, and heavy hearts; 

 that they have a higli percentage of red corpuscles; that they show generalized 

 edema and enlarged and sclerosed livers, such as one would expect in cardiac 

 weakness; that they usually recover when shipped to lower altitudes, but 

 seldom do if they remain at the higher levels; and that the feed is not a factor; 

 that animals from low altitudes are more often affected than natives; that 

 calves sired by bulls from low altitudes ate more likely to be affected than those 

 sired by native bulls; that the higher the altitude the more prevalent is the 

 disease. 



"We therefore have no hesitancy in concluding that the malady is due to 

 failure of acclimatization at high altitudes. The remedy lies Dot in drugs, but 

 In breeding a hardier strain of cattle which can accustom themselves to the 

 rigorous conditions incident to an existence at these extreme altitudes." 



Gastrointestinal lavage in dogs: Its value in removing worms and in other 

 respects, M. < '. IIaii. and M. Wiodob {Jour. A>mr. Vet. Med. Asmoc, jj [1918), 

 No. 4, pp. 443-456). — " Experimental investigations of various procedures which 

 may he regarded as gastrointestinal lavage iii the sense in which the term is 

 now used among American veterinarians, <>r some modification of that pro- 

 cedure, have been made by us m 12 cases. We conclude from these tests (l) 

 that gastrointestinal lavage, like most of the medicinal anthelmintics, has not 

 the entirely dependable efficacy which is usually credited to it by those who 

 use it. ('J.) It has a certain limited efficacy in removing worms and it ml gill 

 be of value in anthelmintic treatment in one of several ways: By mechanically 

 removing part of the worms present at times, or all of them less frequently by 

 removing material that interfered with the action of medicinal anthelmintics, 

 or by employment as a means of administering medicinal anthelmintics in 

 properly selected ease's. Its anthelmintic value Is less than that of properly 

 selected medicinal anthelmintics in suitahle doses. (3) It probably has greater 

 value in cases of poisoning in dogs or cats, animals which are often poisoned, 

 where the lavage can be giveD in time to wash out some oi all of the poison 

 from the digestive tract before the absorption of a lethal dose. Where it could 

 be applied promptly we would regard it as a procedure of great value. (4 I It 

 is temporarily very depressing and may at times cause rupture of the intestinal 

 walls from the water pressure or hemorrhage of the stomach from protracted 

 forcible emesis. (5) The treatment is easy and rapid with some dogs but slow 

 and tedious with others. 



" Investigations bused on the weights of 200 dogs Indicate that for practical 

 purposes the weight of the average dog is about 1(1 kg. [22 lbs. 1 ; investigations 

 based on the above and on the measurement of •_'.") ,u^ stomachs indicate that 

 the gastric capacity of the average dog is about 1 liter [1.06 qt.] and that the 

 gastric capacity of the average dog per kilogram of body weight is about 100 

 mils [0.10G qt.]. The exact computed weight is a little over 10 kg. and the 

 exact computed capacity and capacity per kilogram are a little less thau these 

 figures." 



