VETERINARY MEDICINE. 379 



whicli may arise in fodder, mention is made of ergot, smuts, molds, and other 

 jiarasitic fungi. A rather extensive list of poisonous plants is given with brief 

 notes on the physiological effects of these plants and the means of combating 

 them. 



Report of the veterinarian, S. B. Nelson (Washington Sta. Rpt. 1905, pp. 

 16-20). — In an Investigation of a disease affecting new-born animals, especially 

 pigs, in the central part of the State, water taken from the section where the 

 disease pi'evailed was analyzed by the station chemist and found deficient in 

 mineral salts. The disease is attributed to malnutrition, due to this cause, and 

 reconnnendations are made that pregnant sows be fed precipitated calcium 

 phosphate. 



Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of treatment of 

 decayed teeth of horses, in which the amount of hay wasted and the weight of 

 the animal were recorded during a period prior to the operation upon the teeth, 

 during the period of recovery, and following recovery. 



In the first experiment, "with the same amount of hay fed during the first 

 period of 14 days, with 280 lbs. fed and 66 lbs. wasted, the horse averaged 998.7 

 lbs. During the second period of 11 days after the operation with 220 lbs. fed, 

 and a waste of 83 lbs., the average weight was 995.3, or 3.4 lbs. less than during 

 the first period. 



" The third period of 14 days, with 280 lbs. of hay fed, and 9 lbs. of waste, 

 the average weight was 1,013 lbs., a gain over the first period of 14.3 lbs. and 

 on the second of 17.7 lbs. The waste during the first period was 2.43 per cent; 

 second period, 33.33 per cent; and the third, only 3.2 per cent of the hay fed." 



A second horse operated on gave an average weight of 1,099 lbs. for the 15 

 days prior to the opei'ation, and an average of 1,112 lbs. for the 14 days follow- 

 ing, or an average gain of 13 lbs. 



Annual report for 1907 of the principal of the royal veterinary college, 

 J. McFadyean {Jour. Roy. Agr. Sac. England, 68 (1907), pp. 201-210).— In this 

 I'eport the author compares the conditions observed during the year with those 

 observed in other years with respect to anthrax, glanders, swine fever, Johne's 

 disease, and redwater in cattle. With regard to the transmissibility of bovine 

 tuberculosis to man the results obtained by recent investigations are considered 

 as indicating the correctness of the conclusion that such ti'ansmission may and 

 does take place. 



The standardization of tetanus antitoxin, M. J. Rosen au and J. F. Ander- 

 son (Pub. Health and Mar. Hasp. Serv. U. S., Hyg. Lab. Bill. J,3, pp. 5.9).— An 

 American unit for the standardization of tetanus antitoxin was officially de- 

 fined in 1907. According to this definition " the immunity unit for measuring 

 the strength of tetanus antitoxin shall be 10 times the least quantity of anti- 

 tetanic serum necessary to save the life of a 350-gm. guinea pig for 96 hours 

 against the official test dose of a standard toxin fuiniished by the Hygienic 

 Laboratory of the Public Health and Marine Hospital Service." In the present 

 bulletin a historical view is given of previous work on tetanus toxin and anti- 

 toxin, on the methods of standardization which have been adopted, and on the 

 necessity for the present standard. Descriptions are also given of German, 

 Italian, and French methods for standardizing tetanus antitoxin together with 

 tables for guidance in diluting the toxin and antitoxin. 



The cause of milk sickness or trembles, E. O. Jordan and N. M. Harris 

 (Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc, 50 (1908), No. 21, i)p. 1665-1673).— A brief historical 

 account is given of the occurrence of this disease in various parts of the United 

 States. The authors had opportunity to study the disease in New Mexico 

 and Texas at points far removed from the region where it has ordinarily been 



