1919] VETERINARY MEDICINE. 185 



veterinarian in the use of serums for the control and treatment of various in- 

 fectious diseases of animals. A description is given of anaphylactic symptoms 

 in bovines, horses, dogs, sheep, hogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, and man. 



Anaphylaxis, Hossle (Ztschr. Itnmunitdtsf. u. Expt. Ther., I, Orig., 26 

 {1917), No. 6, pp. 589-601). — The phenomenon of anaphylaxis is explained as 

 follows : The parenteral digestion of protein brings about a physico-chemical 

 alteration of the blood witli increased viscosity. This causes an irritation to 

 the vaso-motor centers, which in turn results in an increase in the carbon dioxid 

 in llie blood resulting in carbon dioxid poisoning or anaphylactic shock. 



Isoanaphylactic poisoning caused by certain immunizing sera, M. Cakpano 

 (Clin. Vet. [Milan^, Rass. Fol. Sanit. e Ig., 41 {1918), No. 10, pp. 261-274; o&s. 

 in Intemat. Inst. Agr. [Rome], Internat. Rev. Sci. and Pract. Agr., 9 {1918), 

 No. 11, pp. 1337, 1338). — The author desci'ibes phenomena of special hypersen- 

 sitiveness to specfic immunizing sera in the following cases : 



(1) A horse inoculated with a culture of streptococci and Ave days later 

 with polyvalent antistreptococcic serum showed symptoms similar to anaphy- 

 laxis. The condition could not be considered a state of true anaphylaxis on 

 account of the predisposing causes and the absence of the subsequent phenom- 

 enon of antianaphylaxis. 



(2) In many cattle injected in the jugular vein with from 80 to 100 cc. of 

 homologous antirinderpest serum, severe poisoning often followed by sudden 

 death occurred. This could not be attributed to the phenol contained in the 

 serum, the action of suspended albumin, or air bubbles. This phenomenon was 

 not observed in subcutaneous inoculations. 



(3) In horses suffering from African horse sicliness the injection of a 

 homologous serum into the jugular vein has often produced powerful hemolysis. 



The author discusses various liypotheses which have been advanced to ex- 

 plain the origin of this phenomenon, to which he gives the name anaphylactoid 

 poisoning. He states in conclusion that, since in some infections a certain 

 number of predisposed subjects show a particular hypersensitiveness to intra- 

 venous injections of immunizing sera, such serotherapy in spite of its efficacy 

 is not free from disadvantages and dangers. 



Studies in ananaphylaxis (antianaphylaxis), O. Thomsen {Ztschr. Immuni- 

 tdtsf. u. Expt. Ther., I, Orig., 26 {1917), No. 3, pp. 213-257, figs. 3)..— An exten- 

 sive study is reported of the phenomenon of anti- or ananaphylaxis as observed 

 in guinea pigs sensitized with horse serum injected subcutaneously and sub- 

 sequently reinjected witli the serum intravenously. 



It was found that animals sensitized on the sam« day and with the same 

 dose behaved similarly in respect to sensitization. Through calculation of the 

 minimal lethal dose of such groups of animals the degree of anaphylaxis could 

 be determined quantitatively. Sensitizing doses of 0.004 cc. acted more quickly 

 rhan doses of 0.1 cc. The degree of sensitization was not influenced by the size 

 of the dose, but rose quickly to a maximum and then decreased very gradually. 

 Very young animals produced stronger antibodies than animals a few months 

 old. 



Ananaphylaxis is considered by the author to be due to three causes of the 

 following relative importance: (1) Consumption or destruction of the anaphy- 

 lactic antibody following the desensitizing antigen injection. This destruction 

 manifests itself clinically quite differently, depending upon the strength of the 

 existing sensitization as well as the strength of the desensitizing dose. (2) 

 Prevention of the reaction between antigen and antibody. This is illustrated 

 by the action of peptones, narcotics, etc.. which act through lowering the re- 

 action velocity between antigen and antibody. This influence has been shown 



