VETERINARY MEDICINE. 577 



and farmers in the identification of poisonous plants, to offer suggestions rela- 

 tive to preventive and remedial measures, and to cite special conditions under 

 which certain plants are known to poison animals. 



The poisoning' of live stock while feeding on plants of the sorghum group, 

 C. K. Francis (Oklahoma Sta. Circ. 38 {1915), pp. >}). — A popular account, 

 based on the report previously noted (E. S. R., 30, p. 584), with additional 

 analyses of Sudan grass. 



A comparison of the sizes of the red cells of some vertebrates, J. B. 

 Cleland {Rpt. Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sci., 1914, pp. JfOJf, 405). — A brief report of 

 systematic measurements made of the erythrocytes of various Australian 

 vertebrates. 



The Abderhalden reaction, D. D. Van Slyke, Miriam Vinograd-Villchur, 

 and J. H. LosEE {Jour. Biol. Chem., 23 {1915), No. 1, pp. 377-406, figs. ^).— "A 

 simple and quantitative method has been established for measuring by amino 

 nitrogen determination the extent of the proteolysis occurring when serum and 

 substrate are incubated as in the Abderhalden reaction. The mixture after 

 incubation is freed from protein with colloidal ferric hydrate, the filtrate evap- 

 orated, and the free amino nitrogen in it determined with the micro-amino 

 apparatus. The increases in amino nitrogen observed when digestion occurs 

 are many times greater than the exiDerimental error of the method ; so that 

 it appears possible to rule out the latter as a factor in the results. . . . 



" Practically every serum, whether from a pregnant or a nonpregnant indi- 

 vidual, shovred protein digestion when incubated with placenta tissue prepared 

 according to Abderhalden." 



Results from pregnant sera tended to average somewhat higher than those 

 from nonpregnant. " The difference even in the averages is not great, however ; 

 and the individual variations of both pregnant and nonpregnant sera make the 

 results from both overlap so completely as to render the i-eaction, even with 

 quantitative technique, absolutely indecisive for either positive or negative 

 diagnosis of pregnancy." 



Carcinoma tissue was found to be digested to about the same extent as 

 placental, which is furtb.er evidence of nonspecificity. 



" It appears that nearly all human sera can digest certain coagulated tissue 

 proteins to some extent, but that the source and significance of the proteolytic 

 agents, and the influences that cause their fluctuation, remain as yet unde- 

 termined." . 



Contributions to the dialysis method of E. Abderhalden, F. Pregl {Fer- 

 mentforsch., 1 {1914), No. 1, pp. 7-12). — The author recommends the use of 

 collodion thimbles for the dialysis, and gives detailed directions for their prep- 

 aration. A new procedure for the preparation of the placental substrate in 

 which the lipoids are removed by alternate treatment with alcohol and ether 

 is outlined. Certain precautions to be observed in the use of collodion dialyzers 

 are also noted. 



The anaphylactic reaction with so-called proteoses of various seeds. — The 

 biologic reactions of the vegetable proteins, VI, H. G. Wells and T. B. 

 OsBOEXE {Jour. Infect. Diseases, 17 {1915), No. 1, pp. 259-275). — Continuing 

 previous work (E. S. R., 31, p. 377) the principal conclusions drawn by the 

 authors are as follows : 



Those vegetable protein preparations commonly designated as " proteoses " 

 are distinguishable by biological reactions and are, therefore, chemically dis- 

 tinct from the other proteins of the seeds, as was demonstrated by the anaphy- 

 lactic reaction. " Proteoses " obtained from different seeds and grains are also 

 quite distinct from one another. They exhibit strong anaphylactogeuic proper- 



