VETEEINARY MEDICHSTE. 581 



the fifteenth edition of this publication, has been entirely revised and enlarged. 

 Some of the nomenclature used is that employed in the eighth decennial re- 

 vision of the United States Pharmacopoeia. 



Yearly report in reg'ard to the progress made in veterinary medicine, 

 edited by W. Ellenbeegee, W. Schutz, O. Zietzschmann, et al. {Jahresder. 

 Vet. Med., 32 (1912), pp. V+42Jf). — This report is in continuation of that pre- 

 viously noted (E. S. R., 28, p. 278). 



Report of the acting director of veterinary research (Union), late govern- 

 ment veterinary bacteriologist, for the year 1911, A. Theiler (Union So. 

 Africa Dept. Agr. Rpt. 1910-11, pp. 137-lGG, pis. 3). — Previously noted from 

 another source (E. S. R., 26, p. 882). 



An improved rapid method of producing precipitins and hemolysins, F. P. 

 Gay and J. G. Fitzgerald (Univ. Cal. Pubs., Path., 2 (1912), No. 8, pp. 77-82; 

 ais. in Centbl. Bakt. [etc.], 1. Aht., Ref., 54 (1912), No. 19, pp. 602, 603).— This 

 article not only confii-ms the findings of Fomet and Miiller " in regard to the 

 rapid preparation of precipitins, but also points out that if the injections are 

 made in the blood stream instead of the abdominal cavity, hemolysins are also 

 produced. In this way it is possible to produce within 7 to S days a very satis- 

 factory hemolytic system for the complement fixation test. 



Contribution to our knowledge of antibody formation during the prepara- 

 tion of mono- and polyvalent sera, especially calf dysentery coli immune 

 sera, R. Hindebsson (Beitrag zur Kenntnis der AntikorperMldung hei der 

 Herstellung mono- und polyvalenter Sera, speziell der Kdlberruhrcoli-Immun- 

 sera. Inaug. Diss., Tierdrztl. HocJisch. Dresden, 1912, pp. 70, figs. 10; Meddel. 

 K. Vet. og LandboJidjslcoles Serumlah., 1912, No. 20, pp. 58, pis. 5; abs. in Centbl. 

 Bald. [etc.]. 1. Abi.. Ref., 55 (1912), No. 6. pp. 185, 186).— The immunizing 

 capacity of the various calf dysentery coli strains was found to be very variable. 

 Some strains are very strong antibody producers, while others are very weak in 

 this respect or do not produce antibodies at all. It seems more praeticnble 

 when combating calf dysentery to prepare polyvalent sera, because the agglutina- 

 tion and complement fixation powers of such sera are not very much lower than 

 the titer of the monovalent sera. Highly potent sera can be prepared by inject- 

 ing the organisms into rabbits. Some of the sera were as high as 1 : 100,000 for 

 the agglutination, and for the complement fixation 0.0002. Sheep immunized 

 intravenously show only a slow antibody formation. 



Studies in regard to the agglutination of the different strains of Micrococ- 

 cus melitensis, L. N£gre and Rayn.\ud (Compt. Rend. Sac. Biol. [Paris'], 72 

 (1912). No. 15, pp. 66.'t, 665). — Varied results have been reported with different 

 strains of M. melitensis and the agglutination reaction. When 5 strains wei'e 

 tested with sera from diseased and healthy subjects, in some cases a reaction 

 was obtained with the sera of healthy subjects, but, on the other hand, great 

 difiiculty was often experienced in obtaining a positive reaction with the sera 

 of diseased subjects. This the authors believe to be due to the fact that serum 

 sometimes contains thermostable agglutinins. Nevertheless they believe the 

 safest procedure to obtain a positive reaction is to inactivate the serum before 

 using. 



Melitensis and paramelitensis, L. Negre and M. Raynaud (Compt. Rend. 

 Soc. Biol. [Paris], 72 (1912), No. 18, pp. 791-793; abs. in Centbl. Bakt. [etc.], 

 1. Abt., Ref., 55 (1912), No. 12, p. 381).— The agglutination of 6 strains of the 

 Micrococcus melitensis fi'om various sources was studied. 



Only 5 of these agglutinated in dilutions of 1 : 5,000. The sixth strain, which 

 came from a patient in Tunis, did not react. Sera from rabbits were then pre- 



»Ztschr. Biol. Tech. u. Methodik, 1 (1908), No. 3, pp. 201-206, figs. 3. 



