278 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol. 43 



The significance of these results is discussed and the conchision drawn that 

 the lipoid fixation reaction is as specific as the other serological tei^ts. 



The lipoid fixation reaction, E. Meinicke {Berlin. Tierdrstl. Wchnschr., 35 

 (1919), No. 44y PP- 4^5, Jf26). — Improvements in the technique of the lipoid fixa- 

 tion reaction are outlined, including a new method for preparing the lipoid 

 extract which is said to give uniformly good extracts, a simple dilution method 

 for the extract, and the use of a tuberculin preparation (T. O. A.) as a control 

 antigen in place of the extract of colon bacilli recommended in the above paper. 



As the result of further trial of the method the author states that by means 

 of it fresh acute attacks of glanders can be detected much earlier than by 

 other methods, and that in chronic cases positive results are obtained much 

 more frequently than with the complement fixation method. 



The tuberculosis complement fixation test, B. Stivelman (Jour. Lab. and 

 Clin. Med., 5 (1920), No. 7, pp. 453-.',56) .—The author reports a study of the 

 diagnostie and prognostic value of the complement fixation reaction for tubercu- 

 losis, as well as its relation to active and clinically inactive tuberculosis, as 

 determined by observations of its use in 700 consecutive cases. 



Positive reactions were obtained in 24 per cent of nontuberculous individuals 

 and in only 52.4 per cent of the definitely tuberculous cases. Of 294 active 

 cases, a positive reaction was obtained in 178, or 60.5 per cent, while of the 298 

 inactive cases 132, or 44.3 per cent, reacted positively. 



The author concludes tliat " it would seem hazardous to permit the test in 

 its present stage of development to influence our clinical judgment." 



Stomach worms in sheep, L. J. Hoelache:r {Univ. Ky. Col. Ayr., Ext. Div. 

 Circ. 78 {1920), pp. S). — This is a popular account 



Why hog cholera serum sometimes fails, G. H. Conn {Sioi^ie World, 7 

 {1920), No. 17, pp. 13, IJf). — Failure to diagnose hog cholera accurately and to 

 observe sanitary and hygienic measures in administering the serum are consid- | 

 tred the chief causes of poor results sometimes experienced in the use of the ' 

 serum. 



Serum treatment of joint-ill, T. Rieger {Tierdrztl. Rundschau, 25 {1919), 

 No. 2S, pp. 309-311). — This is a brief discussion of the intravenous and sub- 

 cutaneous methods of treating foals with serum from the mother in cases of 

 joint-ill. The formation of abcesses following subcutaneous injection of the 

 serum is attributed to imperfect cleansing of the surface at which the injection 

 is made or to incomplete sterilization of the syringe. In the intravenous method 

 the bactericidal action of the blood is thought to overcome the possible danger 

 of infection of the subcutaneous method. The use of a large syringe capable of 

 injecting 500 cc. of blood at one time is recommended for tl\e intravenous 

 method. 



The immunity of common fowls to plague, P. C. Flu {Meded. Geneeslc. 

 Lab. Weltevreden [Dutch East Indies'\, 3. Ser. A, No. 4 {1919), pp. 116-132).— 

 The author i-eports that fowls inoculated with large amounts of a culture of 

 plague bacilli capable of killing guinea pigs by the subcutaneous injection of a - 

 0.0001 loop dose showed no signs of illness. Attempts to attribute this immunity 

 of fowls to cholera indicated that it can be explained chiefly if not entirely by 

 phagocytosis. The plague bacilli behave as foreign bodies circulating freely 

 in the blood without loss of virulence until tliey are seized upon and destroyed 

 by the phagocytes. ^m 



RURAL ENGINEERING. ^ 



American civil engineers' handbook, M. Merriman et al. {Neiv York: John 

 Wiley d Sons, Inc., 1920, 4- ^d., rev. and enh, pp. [2'\+1955, figs. 1118; rev. in 

 Engin. News-Rec, 84 {1920), No. 12, pp. 580-581) .—This is the fourth revised 



