1920] 



VETERINARY MEDICINE. 273 



{Ann. Admiu. Rpf. Bombay Vet. Col and Civ. Vet. Drpf. Bonibny, 191S-HK pp. 

 JI3). — This is the usual aiuuiiil n>])ort ( K. S. R., 41, p. 777). 



[Rcsearrh work with raiif>e plants poisonous to stock], M. R. Milleb 

 (Ncrada .S7«. L'pt. 1919, pp. 3^, ,«).— Two plants, one of the saltbushes 

 (Atriplcx canesvcns) and the wild cbokeberry (I'lunu.t demissa), were investi- 

 gated by the author during the year. The work with Atriplex disclosed the 

 presence of a saponin or a mixture of saponins to which it may be possible to 

 ascribe some of the poisonous properties of the plant. P. demissa was shown 

 to contain a cyanogrenetic compound. The toxicity of this plant is undoubtedly 

 due to the prux.'^ic acid generated by enzym or other action. 



[Studies of poisonous range phints], C. E. Flemi.xg (Xevada St<i. lipt. 

 1919. pp. 39--'i3). — It is pointed out tliat due to palatable forage on the range 

 becoming gradually depleted, the range animals are forced to eat plants which 

 formerly were seldom or never touched, and as a result the losses during late 

 years have been on the ii crease. During the year under report, 30 different 

 plants were studied, 211 separate feeding tests having been made. The plants 

 which produced poisoning when fed and tlie toxic and lethal doses, are here 

 reportetl upon, as follows: Triylovhin maritima (arrow grass), Cicitta occi- 

 dentalis, Asclepias mexicana, Artcmitfia spinescens, Tetradiimia glabrata, Atri- 

 plr.p caneseens, A. rosea, Dclpliiniinn andcrsonii, Hdlrrpei^tis eymhcilarin, Soli- 

 du(jo spcctabilis, Knlmia microphiiUa, Zygadenus panieuJatus (death camas), 

 and Z. venrno.sus (death camas). 



Saponified cresol solutions, J. M. Schaffer {U. S. Dcpt. Ayr. Bui. 855 

 {I'.i.iO), pp. 5). — This paper describes a series of experiments undertaken with 

 tlu- ol)ject of preparing saponified cresol solutions which would be less ex- 

 pensive but no less effective than those in use at present. The standards for 

 such a solution, as outlined by the Bureau of Animal Industry, U. S. De- 

 partment of Agriculture, are as follows : " The product shall remain a homo- 

 geneous liquid when cooled to 32° F. It shall contain substantially no free 

 oil, fatty acid, or excess alkali. It shall be readily .soluble in cold distilled 

 wate/; the solution shall be prjictically clear and shall contain no globules of 

 undissolved oil or cre.sylic acid." 



It was found that the objectionable feature of cresol-resin soap solutions, the 

 clouding on dilution with water, was due to the hydrolysis of the rosin soap 

 and the absorption of carbon dioxid from air, but that this could be retarded 

 by substituting, for part of the rosin soap, soaps made from vegetable or fish 

 oils. The length of time during which a 3 per cent solution of such saponified 

 cresols remained clear was found to depend upon the amount of rosin soap 

 present. 



Saponified cresol solutions containing soaps made from several different 

 vegetable oils and fish oils did not vary greatly in disinfecting power as de- 

 termined by a modified Rideal-Walker test, but were somewhat inferior to 

 the cresols made by using soap mixtures composed largely of rosin soap. The 

 latter proved to have at least as great a disinfecting power as saponified cresol 

 solutions made with linseed oil soap, and to be much cheaper. 



Complementary and opsonic functions in their relation to immunity, 

 H. D. Moore (Jour. Immunol., 4 (1019), No. 6, pp. Jf25-.'fJfl). — The author reports 

 a study at the Vermont Experiment Station of the properties of the sera of 

 guinea pigs naturally deficient in complement. 



Complement titrations in which positive and negative controls were employed 

 indicated that the lack of complement was not due to the presence of anything 

 Interfering with the action of amboceptor. Biological tests api)lied to the 

 blood serum of complement-deficient guinea pigs systematically immunized by 



