1917] VETEftlNAKY MEDICINE. 687 



" The impurities of litmus preparations vary in their effect upon the Pj^ of 

 milk and often necessitate elaborate adjustment either of the litmus solution. 

 of the milk, or of the mixture if reproducible color is to be obtained. Brom- 

 cresol puiTple, on the other hand, may be used with the assurance that, if 

 other conditions are constant, it will always produce the same coloration. 

 Some of the difficulty experienced In reproducing a particular initial color 

 with either indicator is shown to be due to the changes in P^ which occur 

 when milk is sterilized by heat. 



" The comparative value of litmus and bromcresol purple In milk cultures 

 was tested with a variety of organisms. It was found that no change in re- 

 action could be observed with litmus which could not be followed equally well 

 with bromcresol purple. In many instances litmus was rendered useless by 

 reduction or destruction while bromcresol purple continued to act as a true 

 indicator of the hydrogen-ion concentration." 



VETERINARY MEDICINE. 



Annual reports of the State veterinarian of Alabama, 1914 and 1915, 

 C. A. Caby (Ann. Rpt. State Vet. Ala., 8 (19U), pp. 28; 9 {1915), pp. 48).— 

 These reports, dealing with the work of the years 1914 and 191^ respectively, 

 include accounts of the occurrence of and control work with diseases of live 

 stock, including tick eradication. 



Report of the Montana Live Stock Sanitary Board and State veterinary 

 surg'eon for years 1915—16 {[Bien.] Rpt. Mont. Live Stock Sanit. Bd., 1915-16, 

 pp. 50, pi. i).— This report, dealing with the work of the year with infectious 

 and other diseases of live stock, includes a discussion of tuberculosis free 

 accredited herds, contagious abortion, etc., and gives a list of official dips and 

 disinfectants, live stock sanitary board orders, regulations governing importa- 

 tion of live stock into Montana, etc. A short popular article on cattle lice in 

 Montana, by R. A. Cooley and R. R. Parker, is Included. 



Diseases of domestic animals (Rpt. Dept. Agr. [2V. J?.], 5^ (1915-16), pp. 

 85-99). — This reports upon the occurrence of and control work with infectious 

 diseases of live stock in New Hampshire. 



Annual reports of the chief veterinary ofl3.cer for the years 1914 and 

 1915, S. Stockman (Bd. Agr. and Fisheries [London}, Ann. Rpt. Chief Vet. 

 Off; 1914, pp. 62; 1915, pp. 12). — These report briefly upon the occurrence of 

 and work with the more important diseases of animals during 1914 and 1915. 



In the report for 1914 some cross-immunization tests with Piroplasma bige- 

 minum and P. divergens are noted which indicate that animals immunized 

 against P. bigeminum are not protected against Infection by P. divergens, or 

 vice versa. 



For obtaining massive cultures of Bacillus abortus a medium prepared as 

 follows was used : Five hundred gm. of raw potato in small pieces is macerated 

 in 2,000 cc. of water, placed in an incubator for 12 hours at 60° C. and then 

 strained through a flannel bag. To the filtrate, 10 gra. of meat extract, 10 gm. of 

 salt, and 20 gm. of Witte's peptone are added. The mixture Is steamed for 1 hour, 

 strained through a flannel bag, rendered slightly alkaline, and again steamed for 

 1.5 hours. A slight precipitate results which is removed by filtration through 

 paper. The filtrate Is finally sterilized in the autoclave and kept as a stock 

 solution. With the addition of 1 per cent of sugar and 1 per cent of glycerin 

 the material constitutes an excellent liquid medium for cultivating the organism. 



For making a solid medium, 60 gm. of agar is added to 2,000 cc. of the stock 

 solution and melted in the usual way. After clarifying by the usual method, 



22397°— 17— No. 7 7 



