284 EXPEEIMENT STATION EECOED. 



The germ-free filtrates from tubercle bacilli bouillon cultures do not contain 

 substances toxic for normal guinea pigs, these originating from the metabolic 

 processes of the bacillus. Pure glycerol was found to kill normal guinea pigs 

 in doses of 4 cc, but its toxicity can be markedly increased by an addition of 

 nontoxic amounts of soluble tubercle bacillary substances. One gm. nucleic 

 acid from tubercle bacilli (tuberculinic acid) contains 400 normal doses for 

 tuberculous guinea pigs, but only 4 lethal doses for healthy guinea pigs, and 

 0.025 gm. of thymus nucleic acid is lethal for a healthy or tuberculous guinea 

 pig. The specific breadth, that is, the relation of the lethal amounts of poison 

 in 1 gm. of substance for 1 gm. of live weight of a tuberculous .subject to the 

 amount of poison necessary to kill 1 gm. of a healthy guinea pig, is for tuber- 

 culinic acid 100, whereas for thymus nucleic acid it is —1. 



It is believed that the method for testing tuberculin on guinea pigs in use at 

 the present time should be retained. The tubercle bacilli poison can not be 

 regarded as a true bacterial toxin because it does not yield antitoxin nor 

 specific amboceptor in normal animals. In tuberculous animals, however, it 

 produces normal precipitins and specific amboceptors. It seems, therefore, 

 that in the tubercle bacilli there are present two different antigens, one which 

 induces the formation of precipitins and the other specific amboceptors. By 

 treating tubercle bacilli with silicic acid it is possible to separate the precipitino- 

 gen from the specific toxin. 



Tuberculosis protective vaccination with antiphymatol, T. Krautsteunk 

 (Ztschr. Infektioiisknuik. u. Hug. Ilaustiere, 14 {1913), No. 6, pp. 366-^82).— 

 The Klimmer method was tested in three establishments. Autopsies were made 

 on 55 animals, 21 of which were protectively vaccinated, 10 curatively treated, 

 and 24 served as controls. 



Nine of the protectively vaccinated animals were found tuberculous, 2 animals 

 receiving curative treatment after Si years had open tuberculosis, and 1 animal 

 receiving a second injection of antiphymatol had udder tuberculosis. The sub- 

 stance is considered of no value as a protective or curative agent. 



The tviberculosis problem in rural communities, S. A. Knopf (Pul). Health 

 Rpts. [U. S.], Reprint 243 (1914), pp. 11). — The author believes that because 

 of lack of knowledge and of the enforcement of well-known methods of pre- 

 vention it is difiicult to control the spread of tuberculosis among persons in 

 rural communities. He suggests that there is need of a campaign of education 

 to be followed by a more vigorous control of those afilicted with the disease. 



Contribution to the serodiagnosis of infectious abortion in bovines, A. 

 Kloubok (Osterr. Wchnschr. Tierheilk., 1914, PP- 133, 139; a&s. in Berlin. 

 Tierarztl. Wchnschr., 30 {1914), No. 43, P- 721).— This is a study of the agglu- 

 tination and complement fixation tests as regards their value for diagnosing 

 infectious abortion in bovines, 8 animals from a healthy establishment and 

 145 animals located in 8 infected barns being used. 



Both tests were found valuable for this kind of work, but on account of its 

 simplicity the agglutination test is preferred. A positive test indicates that the 

 animal is infected with Bacillus adortus, but not as to whether a specific in- 

 fection of the uterus has taken place. It also will not determine whether 

 abortion will take place, as pregnant, positive-reacting animals have gone on to 

 full term. 



A note on Syngamus laryngeus from cattle in the Philippine Islands, 

 M. C. Hall {Amer. Jour. Vet. Med., 10 {1915), No. 6, pp. 395, 396, figs. 3).— 

 This nematode, previously known from Annam only, is here recorded from the 

 cow and the carabao in the vicinity of Manila. Aside from the irx'itation at 

 the point of attachment, no pathological condition results from its presence. 



