VETEEINARY MEDICINE. 285 



"The following comparison is based on the gains made in 1908—9 by the lots 

 of 9 rams each that \A'ere fed over a period of 215 days. The daily average 

 gain by the lot receiving hay, grain, and mangels was 0.292 lb. ; by the lot re- 

 ceiving hay. grain, and sngar beets, 0.291 lb.; and by the lot receiving only hay 

 and grain 0.229 lb. 



'The sugar beet-fed rams dressed 5.80 per cent higher and the mangel-fed 

 rams 3.85 per cent higher than did the dry-fed rams. 



" The first influence of feeding roots on the composition of the body is to 

 facilitate the deposition of fat in the tissues. . . . 



"Almost without exception the vascular system of the rams receiving sugar 

 beets and mangels wiis affected. The bladders, kidneys, hearts, and gall blad- 

 ders were enlarged or otherwise alfected. In most of the organs and often in 

 the muscular parts of the body there were hemorrhages due to the breaking 

 down of the capillaries. 



" Because of the large amount of water contained in the beets and mangels — 

 over 90 per cent — the animals eating them excreted large amounts of urine. 

 This urine carried with it increased amounts of salts — urea, phosphates, etc. 

 The first apparent eli'ect of this increased activity of the kidneys was an in- 

 crease in their size. This was accompanied by a softening of the texture, 

 paling of color, and loosening of the capsule. The kidneys were " soggy " to 

 the extent that often with little effort they could be pinched in two between the 

 thumb and finger. As the kidney tissue was broken down, it offered nuclei on 

 which the phosphate salts could crystallize, forming small calculi. Many of 

 these were too large to pass from the kidney, and were cemented together to 

 form larger ones. Others passed into the bladder, irritating it greatly. As 

 these stones accumulated and increased in size, they finally obstructed the 

 urethra, thus preventing the escape of the urine. As a result the bladder be- 

 came distended, highly inflamed, and was finally ruptured." 



The conclusions drawn are as follows : " Sugar beets and mangels favor the 

 formation of renal and urinal calculi, or kidney and bladder stones, when fed 

 to breeding rams. It is very probable that these roots have the same effect 

 when fed to ewes, or to cattle. In view of the fatal results often attending the 

 formation of these stones it would seem inadvisable to feed sugar beets and 

 mangels to breeding animals. There is no particular danger in feeding sugar 

 beets and mangels to fattening animals, as the calculi are not likely to develop 

 sutficiently during the fattening jieriod to cause serious results." 



The production of calculus disease in breeding animals, L. G. Michael 

 (Berlin. Klin. Wchn.schr., J,7 (1910), No. IS, pp. 580-582, firjs. -J).— This account 

 relates to the investigation noted above. 



The enzyms of the mammary gland, W. Grimmer (In Festschrift Otto 

 WalUuh. Gottingen, 1909, pp. 452-466). — Investigations of extracts made from 

 manunary glands of the sheep, bovine, goat, pig, and horse indicate that no 

 soluble peroxydase exists under normal conditions, and that where this is pres- 

 ent a pathological condition usually exists. Peroxydase is bound to the cell 

 elements and. can only be obtained by destroying the cell membrane mechanic- 

 ally. No difference in regard to peroxydase exists in the resting or secreting 

 mammary gland. Animals yielding milk i)oor in or free from peroxydase had 

 peroxydase in the glandular tissue. Catalase was also present in a large num- 

 ber of the glands and this exogenously. The greatest amounts were found in 

 the mammary glands of the pig and horse, while the minimum amount was in 

 the lactating gland of the cow. Aldehyde<:'atalase. reductase, and hydrogenase 

 could not be detected in either the lactating or nonlactating glands, and from 

 this the author assumes that these enzyms have a bacterial origin when present 



