1919] 



VETERINARY MEDICINE. 377 



time, was within certain limits proportional to tlie amoinit of serum. The action 

 was prevented by tUe action of acids and alkalis. 



Attention is called to the resemblance between the anticomplementary action 

 of liacillary suspensions and that of cobra poisoning, and the possible nature of 

 the action is discussed. 



A method for the preparation of prophylactic and autogenous lipovaccines, 

 E. C. RosENOw and A. E. Ostekberg (Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc, 73 {1919), No. 2, 

 pp. 87-91, figs. 3). — The method, which is described in detail, for the prepara- 

 ration of large quantities of specific oil vaccines and for smaller amounts of 

 autogenous lipovaccines, is said to eliminate the chief difficulty encountered in 

 the usual preparation of lipovaccines, namely, a successful drying of the bac- 

 teria. This is accomplished by removing the water by distillation in vacuo 

 from a water-bacterial-oil emulsion. It is said to prevent clumping of the 

 bacteria and to obviate the necessity of grinding the resulting product. 



In the application of this method to the preparation of autogenous lipovac- 

 cines tlie common 6-oz, nursing bottle is used as a culture flask, centrifuge tube, 

 and vacuum flask. The bacteria are grown in 150 cc. of glucose broth for 24 

 hours, centrifugalized, the supernatant clear broth decanted, and the sediment 

 suspended in 10 cc. of a 1.5 per cent solution of purified eresol in water or salt 

 solution. After standing at a temperature of 37° C. for from 2 to 15 hours, or 

 until found to be sterile, the suspension is centrifugalized, the supernatant 

 fluid is decanted, 6 cc. of cottonseed oil containing 2 per cent anhydrous lanolin 

 and a number of sterile glass beads or steel shot are added, and the mixture is 

 emulsified by shaking for a short time. The water is then removed very readily 

 from the mixture by applying the vacuum and immersing the bottom of the 

 bottle in water heated to 60° until bubbling ceases and the mixture becomes 

 clear. The clearing usually takes place in from 20 minutes to 1 hour. 



The method is said to give perfectly even homogeneous suspensions with 

 various species of bacteria. 



Experiments on the effect of agglutinins, B. Fu.timoto (Jour. Immunol., 4 

 (1919), No. 3, pp. 67-76). — The agglutinin obtained by immunizing rabbits with 

 lUiciUus coH was used to determine whether agglutinins have any influence on 

 the glycolytic action of bacteria, on the permeability of bacteria and red blood 

 corpuscles for glucose solution, and on the resistance of red blood corpuscles for 

 salt solution. The results obtained are summarized as follows : 



" The glycolytic action of the living B. coli may be markedly weakened by 

 agglutinin. The agglutinin is able so to change the cell membrane of the 

 bacteria that their endoenzym can permeate it. Neither agglutinin nor hemag- 

 glutinin alters the permeability of bacteria and red blood corpuscles for glucose. 

 The resistance of the red blood corpuscles to hypotonic solutions is slightly de- 

 creased by agglutinin or hemolysin." 



A method for the production of a homogenous suspension of Bacillus an- 

 thracis to be used in agglutination reactions, A. Noble (Jour. Immunol., 4 

 (1919), No. 3, pp. 105-109). — A satisfactory suspension of B. anthracis for ag- 

 glutination reactions has been prepared as follows : 



Four strains of B. anthracis were transplanted daily for ten days on plain 

 agar and incubated at 42.5° C. until a sporeless and very vigorous growth was 

 obtained. Each strain was then planted on plain agar in quart flasks and in- 

 cubated for 12 hours at 42.5°. The growths were washed off in physiologic 

 salt solution containing 0.5 per cent formalin (about 100 cc. to a flask), and 

 the suspensions shaken in a mechanical shaker for 48 hours. After standing 

 for several days and being tested for sterility, equal parts of each suspension 

 were mixed in a cylinder, shaken for 24 hours, and allowed to stand over night. 

 The upper portion, containing a homogeneous suspension, was filtered several 



