180 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



VETEEINARY MEDICINE. 



Report of the civil veterinary department, Eastern Bengal and Assam, 

 for the year 1910-11, W. Harris {Rpt. Civ. Yet. Dept. East. Bengal arid 

 Assam, 1910-11, pp. 2+28+2). — This report includes an account of the occur- 

 rence of the more important diseases of animals, preventive inoculations, breed- 

 ing operations, etc. 



S-eport of the civil veterinary department, Assam, for the year 1912—13, 

 S. G. M. HicKEY {Rpt. Civ. Yet. Dept. Assam, 1912-13, pp. 3+23+1).— A report 

 similar to the above. 



The diagnosis of newly lactating* animals according to Schern's method, 

 E. Weber {Ztschr. Tiermed., 17 (1913), No, 5, pp. 205-209) .—Following studies 

 of Schern's method (E. S. II., 21, p. 614) the author states that if an initial 

 milk decolorizes the formaldehyde methylene blue solution ( Schardinger's re- 

 agent) within 10 to 12 minutes, it may be concluded that it comes from an 

 animal in an advanced state of lactation. If the reagent is not decolorized, 

 however, or if the milk contains strippings, no conclusion can be drawn. 



The use of pituitary extract in bovine and equine obstetrics, H. Schmidt 

 and M. Kopp (Ahs. in Yet. Rec., 26 {1913), No. 1316, pp. 199, 200).— This is a 

 report of six cases in which very satisfactory results were obtained. 



Serum-therapy in practice, A. R. Menary (Amer. Yet. Rev., 43 (1913), 

 No. 3, pp. 284-286). — This details the author's experiences in tuberculin testing 

 and with antistrangles vaccine, canine distemper bacterin, blackleg vaccine, 

 polyvalent bacterins, and hog cholera vaccine. 



Natural variation of Bacillus acidi lactici with respect to the production 

 of gas from carbohydrates, J. A. Arkweight (Jour. Hyg. [Cambridge], 13 

 (1913), No. 1, pp. 68-86). — "A bacillus belonging to the B. acidi lactici group 

 has been repeatedly isolated during 11 months from the urine of one patient, 

 and no other Gram-negative bacillus has been found in the same urine during 

 this period. The bacillus has occurred in 2 varieties which differed as regards 

 gas formation only. Variety I formed gas from sugars and alcohols, and 

 Variety II formed acid and no gas from the same sugars and alcohols. The 2 

 varieties gave identical serum reactions both as regards agglutination and ab- 

 sorption of agglutinins with specific sera prepared from rabbits immunized with 

 the respective varieties. Intermediate varieties as regards gas production also 

 occurred, but were not constant when subcultured. Varieties I and II remained 

 constant in their characters after 4 months' subculture on broth and agar. 

 Variety II, which at first did not produce gas from sugars, was induced to do 

 so by first growing in a solution of sodium formate in broth." 



The action of the protein poison on dogs: A study in anaphylaxis, C. W. 

 Edmunds (Ztschr. Immunitatsf. u. Expt. Ther., I, Orig., 17 (1913), No. 2, 

 pp. 105-134, figs. 4)' — Tbis article indicates that the symptoms produced by the 

 injection of the poisonous portion of the protein molecule are practically the 

 same as those which are noted in acute anaphylaxis, with the exception that 

 in the last-named case the blood loses its coagulating power. 



About the specificity and the diagnostic value of the Ascoli thermo- 

 precipitin reaction for detecting hematic carbunculosis and erysipelas, G. 

 FiNzi (CentU. Balct. [etc.}, 1. Aht., Orig., 68 (1913), No. 5-6, pp. 556-562).— 

 The author concludes that the thermoprecipitin reaction has no specific value 

 for the diagnosis of either hematic carbunculosis (anthrax) or erysipelas. Ex- 

 tracts of the organs of animals affected with carbunculosis give a zonal reac- 

 tion with a specific erysipelas serum, and derivatives of the Bacillus suipestifer 

 and the products of the Preisz-Nocard bacillus also show a specific reaction. 

 Sera from sound horses, heated from 6 to 12 to 48 hours at from 55 to 56° C, 



