280 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Spore formation and other biological processes of the anthrax bacillus, 

 V. RuziCKA (Arch. Hysj., 6'/ (1908), No. 3, pp. 219-29.',, pis. 3).— As a result of 

 an extended study of the minute anatomy and staining reactions of the anthrax 

 bacilUis the author comes to the conclusion that this bacillus coi'responds to a 

 naked nucleus as compared with the usual structure of a protozoan organism. 



The action of anthrax serum, A. Ascoli (Centbl. Bakt. [etc.], 1. Abt., Orig., 

 Ji6 (1908), No. 2, pp. n8-J88, pis. 2). — The physiological action of anthrax 

 serum can not be explained by the hypotheses which have been proposed for 

 explaining the effect of other vaccinating sera. The active substance of anthrax 

 serum Is apparently derived from amboceptors and the serum itself does not 

 hasten the destruction of anthrax bacilli either in vitro or in the living animal. 

 In the experiments reported by the author a constant parallelism was found 

 between the protective and bactericidal action of the serum. 



Combating anthrax and blackleg by protective vaccination, Waeringsholz 

 (Berlin. Tierdztl. Wchnschr., 1908, No. 6, lyp. 93-95).— The general applica- 

 tion of methods of vaccination in the control of anthrax and blackleg is not 

 recommended except in localities where these diseases are known to prevail 

 extensively. The results of vaccination thus far reported are very satisfactory. 



The value of the Straus symptom in the diagnosis of glanders, Lie;naux 

 (Ann. Med. Y^t., 51 (1908), No. 2, pp. 65-69). — In a number of cases reported 

 by the author great difficulty was experienced in reaching a rapid diagnosis of 

 glanders. The pus that comes from suspected cases does not always produce 

 infection in guinea pigs and the reaction from mallein is not always decisive. 

 The Straus reaction is considered as of great importance. 



On some nonspecific reactions of mallein, H. J. Sudmersen and A. T. Glenny 

 (Jour. Hyff. [Cambridge], 8 (1908), No. 1, pp. 14-36, charts 8). — A series of 

 experiments was carried on to detei'mine whether other bacterial products in- 

 jected hypodermically into immune horses may cause local reactions similar to 

 those which follow the administration of mallein. The bacterial products used 

 in these experiments included tuberculin and filtrates or toxins from coli 

 bacillus, typhoid bacillus, Bacillus enteritidis, streptococci, staphylococci, diph- 

 theria bacillus, proteus, lactic-acid bacilli, etc. It was found that bacterial 

 products from these sources act similarly to mallein in giving large local 

 reactions in certain immune horses. There appeared to be no connection be- 

 tween the reaction and the interval of time since the last injection received by 

 the horse in the course of immunization. 



Opportunity was had to test the effect of repeated doses of mallein. In this 

 experiment the conclusion was reached that a glanderous horse may be injected 

 with mallein within a few days after the first injection and still give a reaction, 

 even when the dose is not incre^ased in size. Healthy horses may give increas- 

 ing reactions upon repeating the dose at short intervals from 4 to 5 times, but 

 the reactions resemble those obtained in immune horses rather than those upon 

 glanderous animals. No temperature reaction was obtained in either glander- 

 ous or healthy horses after the second dose of mallein. 



The authors find that many horses immunized against other bacteria or bac- 

 terial products may give a large local reaction to mallein, but that this reaction 

 is not associated with a rise in temperature, and disappears more rapidly than 

 in a typical mallein reaction. 



Barium, a cause of the loco-weed disease, A. C. Crawford ( U. S. Dept. Agr., 

 Bur. Plant Indus. Bui. 129, pp. 9-87). — An account is given of the distribution 

 of the loco weeds, symptoms of the disease, and an extended historical sketch 

 of loco investigation with references to the literature. It is stated that condi- 



