280 EXPEEIMENT STATION KECOED. 



although the animals received in addition a subcutaneous injection of 10 cc. 

 of a 2 per cent carbolic-acid solution each week. Also the animals in 6 small 

 herds were divided into 2 groups, one-half receiving Schreiber's lymph and the 

 other half being treated by Brauer's carbolic-acid method." Brauer's method 

 gave the better results, and Schreiber's lymph is not a certain method for 

 preventing abortion. See also the work of Taylor (E. S. R., 28, p. 781). 



Peptotoxin production by the bacillus of contagious abortion of cattle, 

 J. Reichel and M. J. Haekins {Centhl. Bakt. [etc.], 1. AM., Orig., 69 (1913), 

 No. S, pp. 142-163). — The Bacillus abortus was found to produce a toxin when 

 cultivated on a medium containing peptone, but would not develop it on a non- 

 peptonized medium. It was possible to remove the toxin from the bacilli by 

 thoroughly washing with water. By adding alcohol to the supernatant fluid 

 obtained from a suspension of bacilli grown on peptonized agar, a precipitate 

 was obtained which contained the toxic substances. Heating the toxin for 30 

 minutes at 65° C. had apparently no effect on its toxic properties. It was found, 

 however, that in order to make cattle react toward the toxin they must first be 

 sensitized to it. 



"B. typhosus, B. coli oommwnis, B. tetani, and pneumococcus cultures on pep- 

 tonized agar revealed the presence of peptotoxin when injected into animals 

 sensitized to the abortus bacillus or its products. The peptotoxins of these 

 organisms probably have much in common, if they are not one and the same 

 substance, because animals can be sensitized with one for any of the others. 

 No reactions were observed following the injections into sensitized animals 

 of peptonized agar cultures of the diphtheria bacillus, Staphylococcus pyogenes 

 aureus, nonhemolytic streptococcus, and hemolytic streptococcus, which may 

 mean that the organisms did not produce peptotoxin or only in very small 

 amounts. 



" Rabbits developed agglutinins following the injection of thoroughly washed 

 and unwashed abortus bacilli equally well. The peptotoxin injected with the 

 unwashed bacilli is not essential in the production of antibodies. In that the 

 abortus bacillus produces peptotoxin in a protein medium and it is a possibility 

 that peptotoxin is produced in milk with the bacilli from cattle in infected 

 herds, the wholesomeness of such milk is more questionable." 



Certain individual differences were noted in the amounts of peptotoxin pro- 

 duced by various strains of the B. ahortus, as noted by McFadyean et al. 

 (E. S. R., 22, p. 584). 



Hyperimmunization of horses for obtaining an antianthrax serum, I. G. 

 EiGEN (Arch. Vet. Nauk. i8t. Petersb.], 42 (1912), No. 7, pp. 637-646; ais. in 

 CentU. Bakt. [etc.], 1. AU., Ref., 56 (1913), No. 12, p. 557).— The serum can be 

 obtained in as short a time as 3 months providing the horses are treated daily 

 with small doses of virulent anthrax bacilli. 



Testing of Grugel's vaccine against foot-and-mouth disease, Neveemann 

 (Berlin. Tierdrztl. Wchnschr., 29 (1913), No. 30, pp. 537, 538).— In the experi- 

 ments 13 cattle were used. Ten of these were treated with the vaccine and 3 

 were kept as controls. In no case did the vaccine prove of any value for pro- 

 tecting animals against foot-and-mouth disease. 



Technique and practical significance of precipitation for the intravital 

 and post-mortem diagnosis of glanders, J. Lenfeld (Ztschr. Infektionskrank. 

 u. Eyg. Haustiere, 14 (1913), No. 1, pp. 68-90). — Precipitation is deemed an 

 important aid for diagnosing the intravital presence of glanders. A systematic 

 examination of blood resulted in establishing the presence of the disease in 100 

 per cent of the cases, while 1 examination of blood showed it to be present in 



•Deut. Ztschr. Thiermed., 14 (1889), No. 1-2, pp. 95-101. 



