790 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD, 



Literary references — Plague (Jour. 'J'roii. Med. and Hij<j- [London], 11 

 (JOOS), Nos. 7, p. 116; 8, pp. 130, 131). — References to the literature issued 

 (luring 1907 on plague are here given. Many of these give data upon rats and 

 fleas. 



The cause and prevention of the spread of plag'ue in India, W. G. Liston 

 (Boinhdij kianit. Assoc, WOl, Dec. 11, pp. 3S, figs. 2'/; ahx. in Bill. Inst. Pasteur, 

 6 (UIOS), No. 11, p. JiHl). — Included in this account are descriptions of different 

 species of rats and fleas occurring in India. The author considers Mus rattus 

 and Piilex elieopis as the species particularly concerned in the transmission of 

 plague in India. 



Report on experiments undertaken to discover whether the common 

 domestic animals of India are affected by plague, W. B. Bannerman and 

 R. J. Kapadia (Jour. Hyg. [Cambridge], 8 (1908), No. 2, pp. 209-220).— The 

 experiments conducted appear to show that pigs, calves, fowls, turkeys, geese, 

 and ducks are imuume to the plague. 



Filtration experiments with virus of cattle plague, E. H. Ruediger (PliiJiii- 

 pine Jour. Sci., B, Med. ScL, 3 (1908), No. 2, pp. 165-169, charts 25).— The 

 causative agent of cattle plague i^reseut in the bile and in the blood of an 

 animal suffering with the disease apparently does not pass through the pores 

 of Berkefeld filters marked V, N, or W. Physiological salt solution injected 

 into the peritoneal cavity of an animal suffering from cattle plague and collected 

 1 or 2 hours later, appears to be infectious after having been passed through 

 any one of these three Berkefeld filters. The peritoneal fluid thus prepared 

 accordingly appears to be fully as virulent as the blood of the animal. 



Recurrent fever in South Oran and Pediculus vestimenti, E. Sergent and 

 H. Foley (Bid. »s'oc. Path. E.rot., 1 {1908), pp. 17Jf-176; abs. in Bui. Inst. Pas- 

 teur, 6 (1908), No. 12, p. 553). — The authors investigated an epidemic of 

 recurrent fever in the natives of the Moroccan frontier from which it was con- 

 cluded that Argas persicus and P. vestimenti are the species probably concerned 

 in the transmission of the disease. Arthropods that had sucked blood from 

 individuals sick with the disease were sent to Paris where they were ground in 

 water and injected into monkeys. One monkey injected with the ground body 

 of SI louse was infected, while negative results were obtained from similar 

 injections of IS bags and 22 ticks. 



Abdominal hernia, O'Connor (Vet. Rec, 21 {1908), No. 1055, pp. 186-19 Jf, 

 figs. 3). — The etiology, symptoms, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of ex- 

 ternal abdominal hernia are discussed by the author. 



The chronic arsenical poisoning of herbivorous animals, W. D. Harkins 

 and R. E. Swain iJour. Anicr. Chem. Soc., 30 (1908), No. 6, p-p. 928-9Ji6, fig. 

 1 ) . — Studies made in Montana on the effect of smelter smoke upon animals 

 feeding on vegetation in the vicinity of smelters jire reported. 



While there is comparatively little sickness during the late spring and sum- 

 mer, by November a large number of animals are affected if allowed to run upon 

 the jiastures. A case is reported in which large numbers of sheep died after 

 feeding for 1 week in October in a pasture 15 miles north from the smelter. 

 Analyses were made of grass and moss taken from this pasture and in the grass 

 52 parts and in the moss 405 parts of arsenic trioxid in a million were found. 



Autopsies of a large number of animals including horses, cattle, and sheep 

 were made and manj^ of the samples obtained were analyzed and the results 

 of part of these are given in tabular form. It is shown that in one case a 

 cow's liver contained 4.3 times the maxiuumi amount of arsenic trioxid allowed 

 in the recommendations made by the Royal Commission on Arsenical Poisoning. 

 Flesh and Jilso milk were found which likewise exceeded the limit prescribed 

 by this commission. 



