1919] VETERINARY MEDICINE. 187 



author recommends the addition of an excess of pure neutral sodium fluorid 

 to the serum. When the complement is to be used, one volume of the serum 

 saturated with fluorid is adde<l to. five volumes of distilled water. The titration 

 of the complement is recommended, as after five days, during which the initial 

 complementary power remains fixed, there is said to be a gradual diminution 

 of complementary power. 



Guinea pig serum, J. Freund {Biochem. Ztschr., 86 {1918), No. 5-6, pp. 421- 

 Ji25). — The physical constants and chemical composition of guinea pig scrum 

 are reported. It is pointed out that the serum differs from other sera only in 

 a somewhat Mgher water and lower protein content. 



The course of bacteriolysis produced by serum and by extract of leucocytes, 

 A. Petteesson (Ztschr. Immunitdtsf. u. Expt. Ther., I, Orig., 26 (1917), No. 4, 

 pp. 305-324, flQS' 2)- — Observations are reported of the velocity of bacteriolysis 

 as influenced by the organism involved and by the bacteriolytic agent (serum 

 or leucocytic extract). 



The velocity of bacteriolysis was found to be proportional to the number of 

 the bacteria present, whether the bacteriolytic agent be serum or leucocytes. 

 Toward the end of the bacteriolysis the velocity decreases, since then only the 

 more resistant bacteria are present. Bacteriolysis varies with the nature of 

 the bacteria, and, in the case of the same organism, with the nature of the bac- 

 tericidal agent, as shown by the fact that the lysis of Bacillus anthracis talies 

 place rapidly in dog or horse serum and very slowly in leucocytic extracts, 

 while pneumococci are digested rapidly by a saline solution of leucocytes and 

 slowly by ascitic bouillon. 



On the acceleration of phagocytosis in the citrated blood and citrated blood 

 plasma, M. Otani {Kitasato Arch. Expt. Med. [Tokyo], 2 (1918), No. 2, pp. I4I- 

 218). — An extensive investigation of the influence of citrates on the phagocytosis 

 of the blood, both in normal and in specially immunized animals, is reported 

 from which the following results were obtained : 



Phagocytosis was greater in tuberculous than in normal blood containing 

 sodium citrate. In some cases blood of apparently normal persons showed 

 remarkable phagocytosis and was later found to be infected with tubercle bacilli. 

 The opsonic index in the same cases showed no difference between normal and 

 tuberculous blood. Invigoration of phagocytosis was also observed in citrated 

 rabbit's blood immunized with tubercle bacilli and in human dysentery blood 

 with dysentery bacilli, but no activation of phagocytosis was observed in mix- 

 tures of normal blood with other organisms. 



The author considers that the phagocytic substance found in citrated 

 blood plasma must be investigated further before its identity can be established, 

 but that doubtless phagocytosis in citrated plasma is also aided by the known 

 immune substances, opsonin and tropin. The citrated blood test is thought to 

 be a specific reaction which has an important diagnostic value. 



A lecture on the lessons of the war and on some new prospects in the fi^eld 

 of therapeutic immunization, A. E. Weight (Lancet [London], 1919, I, No. 

 IS, pp. 489-501, figs. 11). — In this lecture, delivered before the Royal Society 

 of Medicine (England), the natural defenses of the body against infections, 

 particularly the antitryptic power of blood and the leucocytes, are discussed 

 and experiments described which confirm the views expressed. A method of 

 " immuno-transfusion " for the treatment of septic wounds is described. This 

 consists in allowing the blood from a donor to digest a given amount of the 

 infecting microorganisms, after which the treated blood is injected into the 

 patient. 



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