VETERINARY MEDICINE. 279 



through the Inhalation of food particles, which results in gangrenous pneumonia 

 (so-called 'Vagus pneumonia'). To date (July 19, 1914), we have not been 

 able to find any evidence of injury since March, 1914. There is no evidence or 

 suspicion that the smelter smoke has ever injured cattle or hogs. It is claimed 

 by certain owners that sheep have been injured, but we have been unable to pro- 

 cure any clinical evidence to substantiate such assertions. 



" Until additional evidence can be found, there is no reason to believe that the 

 Selby smelter smoke is doing any damage to live stock at present (since March, 

 1914)." 



Corrosive sublimate poisoning' stock, R. W. Dabnek {North Dakota Sta. 

 ^pec. Bui., 3 {1915), No. 21, pp. 353, 354). — Statements have been made that in 

 some Instances stock have been poisoned from drinking water which had stood in 

 galvanized troughs previously used for treating wheat for smut with corrosive 

 sublimate. On immersing a galvanized iron plate in a 3 per cent solution of cor- 

 rosive sublimate it was found that the solution lost in strength about 1 per cent 

 in 1.5 hours, while the plate had corroded and lost 5.14 per cent in weight. 

 Plates thus treated were placed in well water for about 8 weeks. The plate was 

 found to be rusted and had lost 0.73 per cent in weight. Untreated plates were 

 fdund not to be rusted. The water was found to give tests for mercury salts. 



Effect of cotton-seed m.eal feeding on the regenerative organs of the cow, 

 W. A. Baenett (Vet. Ahimni Quart. [OJiio State Univ.], 3 {1915), No. 2, pp. 73, 

 74)- — In an effort to reduce the number of abortions and retained afterbirths in 

 a certain farm herd in which negative complement fixation and agglutination 

 tests had been obtained, the feeding of cotton-seed meal was discontinued for 

 seven weeks before calving, a bulky food with a small quantity of concentrates 

 being substituted. In cases where this was tried the percentage of retentions of 

 afterbirth was reduced. 



With the remaining pregnant cows a balanced ration containing a very small 

 quantity of cotton seed was used. Notwithstanding these precautions the num- 

 ber of abortions was not diminished although less retention of afterbirth oc- 

 curred. Once the toxic substance contained in the meal is taken up by the 

 system its elimination is apparently difficult ; at least it is little Influenced by 

 change in feed alone. Epsom salts seemed to assist in preventing retention of 

 afterbirth. 



" The constant feeding of cotton-seed meal and hulls has been observed to 

 produce abortion and retention in various parts of South Carolina. Failure to 

 conceive when bred is a common sequela. This seemed to be due in many cases 

 to a closing over of the os uteri by adhesions ; breaking down the adhesions 

 seldom removed the sterility, however." 



The bacterial flora of the buccal cavity of healthy hogs with special ref- 

 erence to auto-infection in hog cholera and swine plague, A. van der Laan 

 (Centbl. Bald, [etc.], 1. AM., Orig., 74 {1914), iVo. 7, pp. 547^79).— The object 

 of this investigation was to determine the bacteria which occur in the mouths 

 of healthy hogs. All pigs examined were young animals 6, 7, and 8 weeks old. 



From the buccal membrane of every pig Bacillus coli strains and gram- 

 positive cocci were isolated. From two hogs B. protens was obtained. Ovoid 

 bacilli were found in the buccal mucosa of three pigs, bacilli of the paratyphoid 

 B group twice, and a number of nonpathogenic saprophytes. From the mouths 

 of two hogs organisms having the cultural characteristics of B. voldagsen and 

 B. typhi stiis (Glasser) were isolated, but they did not, however, behave the 

 same serologically and pathologically. Erysipelas bacteria and the tubercle 

 bacilli were not found. 



The ovoid bacilli residing saprophytically in the mouths of healthy hogs 

 could not be distinguished morphologically or culturally from B. nuiscpticus. 



