884 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.35 



complement deviation with a high percentage of sera possessing lipotropic 

 properties. " These antigens also cause complement deviation with a moderate 

 percentage of presumably normal and tuberculous sera." 



It is indicated that such antigens possess neither diagnostic nor prognostic 

 value in the serum diagnosis of tuberculosis. 



Present status of the infectious abortion problem, L. R. Himmelbergeb 

 {Amer. Jour. Vet. Med., 11 (1916), No. 9, pp. 699-702) .—This article briefly 

 reviews Ihe more recent literature concerning the progress being made with a 

 general view to combat the disease. 



Some experiments with bacterial vaccines for the cure of splenetic tick 

 fever in cattle, R. L. Rhea and G. W. Mackie (Jour. Amer. Vet. Med. Assoc, 

 49 (1916), No. 3, pp. 361-365). — The etiology, symptoms, post-mortem lesions, 

 and differential diagnosis of the disease are briefly reviewed. 



The experimental work reported covered a period of six months. One hun- 

 dred and forty cases were treated, 118 of which made good recovery. The cat- 

 tle ranged in age from eight months to aged animals. The vaccine used was a 

 combined streptococcus and staphylococcus. 



It is indicated that " the body of all animals is at all times the host of micro- 

 organisms which are incapable of setting up disturbances when the body has a 

 high resistance, but if for any reason the body resistance should drop below 

 normal in vitality these same latent organisms may become pathogenic. The 

 infection producing tick fever primarily is Piroplasma bigeminum ; however, 

 when by its action the resistance of the body is reduced below normal, these 

 organisms may cause a secondary infection and with their toxins may assist in 

 producing symptoms which accompany tick fever. . . . The fact that immunity 

 can be established by blood inoculations warrants us in saying that antibodies 

 may be produced in the blood by proper stimulus, and as the agent used in this 

 test work is a streptococcus and staphylococcus vaccine [and] antibodies pro- 

 duced by this type of vaccine combat only that type of invasion we may conclude 

 they play an important role in this disease." 



The action of organic body fluids on the bacillus of swine erysipelas, 

 V. CoLOMO (Bol. Inst. Nac. Hig. Alfonso XIII, 12 (1916), No. 46, pp. 87-97).— 

 Serological experiments are reported from which the author concludes that the 

 antiserum of swine erysipelas obtained from rabbits possesses agglutinative and 

 bacteriotropic properties the same as that obtained from the horse. The bone 

 marrow contains rather large amounts of antibodies, although not so great as 

 might have been expected. The blood of immune rabbits is richest in agglu- 

 tinins. 



In conformity with earlier views the spleen was found to have no defensive 

 role against septicemical infections. The same may be aflSrmed of the other 

 organs with the exception of the bone marrow. Antibodies M'ere found in suffi- 

 cient quantities in the bone marrow to have a detrimental action on the bacillus 

 of the disease, a fact which is in agreement with earlier investigations in which 

 considerable quantities of antibodies of typhoid fever and pneumonia were found 

 in the bone marrow. 



Report to the council of the I9ational Pig Breeders' Association on the 

 present state of knowledge of swine fever with special reference to the 

 available statistics, M. Greenwood, Jr. (Borrowash, England: Nat. Pig Breed- 

 ers' Assoc, 1914, pp. 69-\-III). — This material has been previously noted from 

 another source (E. S. R., 32, p. 881). 



The results of the use of hog-cholera globulin on three thousand hogs in 

 the field, R. Graham (Amer. Jour. Vet. Med., 11 (1916), No. 9, pp. 703-707).— 

 Detailed experimental results are reported, from which the author concludes 

 that hog-cholera globulin possesses immunizing properties equal to the whole 



