184 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOED. 



ized by a typical rise in temperature wlien injecting tuberculin, but it is also 

 possible to produce lethal results by the injection of the tuberculin. This 

 process affords a measure of the activity of the tuberculosis serum. 



Investigations in regard to the specific action of tuberculosis serum with 

 anaphylatoxin tests, A. Sata (Ztschr. Immunitdtsf. u. Expt. Ther., I, Orig., 

 11 {1913), Ao. 1, 2)p. 75-83). — Anaphylatoxin (used in Friedberger's sense) can 

 be prepared from tubercle bacilli either by treatment with complement or by 

 pretreatment with normal horse serum or immune serum. A further cleavage 

 of anaphylatoxin into lower nontoxic products can be made if the conditions 

 of the experiments are modified. 



In regard to the value of the urochromogen reaction as an indicator for 

 tuberculin treatment, M. Weisz (Wiener Klin. Wchnschr., 25 {1912), No. 28, 

 p. 1094; «&«. "^''^ Ztschr. Immunitdtsf. u. Expt. Ther., II, Ref., 6 {1912), No. 2, 

 p. 448). — The detection of urochromogen in urine with Ehrlich's diazo reaction 

 or with Weisz' permanganate reaction leads to the conclusion that the disease 

 is in progress. In this stage treatment with tuberculin is useless and in fact 

 its use is contraindicated. 



About the use of the precipitation method for diagnosing contagious 

 abortion, S. Szymanowski {Arh. K. Gsndhtsamt., 43 {1912), No, 1, pp. 145- 

 154). — It is shown that with a phenol-sodium chlorid extract of abortion 

 bacilli immune sera of high potency can be prepared. The sera from naturally 

 infected animals seem to give variable results, some giving weak reactions and 

 others no reaction at all. 



In a series of tests with sera from a number of bovines which were appar- 

 ently sound, a precipitation was obtained with the phenol-sodium chlorid 

 precipitant; consequently the precipitation test conducted with this reagent 

 can not be relied upon. 



Infectious abortion in cattle, and its control by means of vaccination, 

 O. ScHEEiBER (Deut. Tierdrztl. Wchnschr., 21 {1913), No. 3, pp. 33-35; ahs. in 

 Jour. Compar. Path, and Ther., 26 {1913), No. 1, pp. 54, 55). — This is a com- 

 plete report of the work previously noted (E. S. R., 28, p. 380). Forty-three 

 of 56 fetuses examined came from 19 farms where abortin was administered to 

 the animals, and in most of the fetuses bacteria in addition to the Bacillus 

 ahortus were noted. 



Methylene blue, a remedy for infectious abortion, F. A. Rich {Vermont 

 Sta. Bui. 174, PP- 315-323). — This is a preliminary report of investigations by 

 the author extending over a period of 15 years in the course of which various 

 preventive and remedial agents were tested. In its action on Bacillus alyortus 

 the author found methylene blue (medicinal grade) to be from twenty to fifty 

 times more effective than carbolic acid. It has proved almost uniformly success- 

 ful, is readily administered, and is apparently free from danger to man or beast. 



In laboratory tests of the effect of methylene blue on the abortion bacillus no 

 growth resulted where methylene blue was used at strengths of 1 : 1,000 for 

 1 to 3 minutes ; 1 : 2,000 for 1 to 5 minutes ; 1 : 4,000 for 4 to 8 minutes ; 1 : 5,000 

 for 30 minutes; 1:6,000 for 1 hour; 1:8,000 for 2 hours; and 1:10,000 for 

 3 hours. 



In his experiments the author made use of 4 herds. Of 30 cows in the first 

 herd, all of which reacted to both the agglutination and the complement fixation 

 tests, one-half received * oz. of methylene blue daily on grain or silage for a 

 period of 30 days, while to the other half it was administered in gelatin capsules 

 for a period of 6 or 7 days, the dosage being repeated after a period of 4 weeks. 

 In one animal the disease appeared to have progressed too far for favorable 

 issue as abortion took place on the second day of the treatment. At the time 

 of writing 14 of the treated cows had calved at full term and the remaining 15 



