BUKAL ECONOMICS. 189 



by application of heat, if perchance contamination has occurred. (5) Clean eggs 

 by dipping them in 90 per cent alcohol just prior to incubation. (6) Clean 

 incubators and brooders by thorough scrubbing with boiling water and good 

 old-fashioned kitchen soap. (7) Clean breeding — breeding from the youngest 

 stock consistent with the requirements of good breeding." 



Bathing animals, H. Lucas {Arch. Wiss. u. Prakt. Tierheilk., 36 (1910), 

 No. 3, pp. 305-355). — Warm baths increase the sensibility of the skin, while cold 

 baths decrease it. Total anesthesia of the skin sets in at from 13 to 15° C. 

 Vasoconstriction and vasodilation in the skin appear much slower than in man. 

 Cutis anserina could not be observed with animals. The frequency of the pulse 

 is increased in both a cold and a warm bath of short duration ; whereas cold 

 baths with man lower the pulse frequency. Cold and warm baths increase the 

 muscular action. The respiration is decreased in a cold bath but increased, con- 

 trary to the results with man, in a warm bath. Salt-water baths are also of 

 therapeutic value for animals. 



Our present day disinfectants and disinfection, R. Luders (Ztsclir. Offenil. 

 Chem., 16 (1910), 2Vos. J/, pp. 62-69; 5, pp. 83-95). — A general consideration of 

 the methods of disinfection and disinfectants. 



Bacteriological testing' of certain disinfectants and the results as affected 

 by varying conditions, C. T. Kingzett and R. C. Woodcock (Pharm. Jour. 

 [London'], 4. scr., 31 (1910), No. 2Ji.il, PP. 157-159, 169).—'' The authors deal for 

 the most part with commercial disinfectants of the coal tar order, classifying 

 them into ' emulsified disinfectants,' and ' homogeneous disinfectants.' The 

 normal Rideal-Walker coefficients in respect of Bacillus typhosus were first 

 determined, then the normal coefficients v^ith regard to other germs, the in- 

 fluences of higher temperature as affecting the B. typhosus coefficient, and an 

 extension of time, simply or coupled with a higher temperature. The results 

 are tabulated for purposes of ready comparison, and they appear to show that 

 while the Rideal-Walker test may very well serve to determine the relative 

 germicidal values of similarly prepared preparations of a coal tar nature, it is 

 not applicable for ascertaining the real or relative value of other disinfectants 

 of a different chemical nature." 



The bacteriological standardization of disinfectants, S. Woodhead and C. 

 PoNDEE (Pharm. Jour. [London], 4. ser., 31 (1910), No. 2U1, pp. 155, 156, 169).— 

 " In this paper the authors fall back on a comparative valuation of disinfect- 

 ants, taking phenol as their standard, and using modification of the Rideal- 

 Walker drop method, as giving promise in theory of the most precise results. 

 They deal with the following factors : Organisms to be acted upon ; number of 

 micro-organisms and amount of organic matter to be added ; strength and 

 number of dilutions; time during which the disinfectant is allowed to act; tem- 

 perature." 



Note on the Woodhead-Ponder method of testing disinfectants, R. T. Hew- 

 lett (Pharm. Jour. [London], 4. ser., 31 (1910), No. 2U1, pp. 159, i69).— "The 

 author questioned the necessity of ' seeding ' the sub-cultures with more than a 

 standard loopful. He thinks that the use of Bacillus coli instead of B. typhostis 

 is probably a desirable change, but further investigation is necessary." 



RURAL ECONOMICS. 



The agricultural labor problem, von Kahlden (Mitt. Okonom. Gesell. 

 Sachsen, 1909-10, pp. 37-70). — This article discusses in detail the agricultural 

 labor problem in Germany and points out the measures that have been taken 

 and should still be put in operation with a view to its solution. 



