VETERlJfARY SCIENCE AND PRACTICE. 91 



Morphological characters and cultures of Bacterium pestis and the rela- 

 tionship of this organism to B. pseudotuberculosis rodentium, B. Galli- 

 Valekki [Cndbl. Bakl. u. I'nr., 1. Aht.,:li (190J), Xn. 5, Orig., pp. 321-330, ph. 2).~ 

 A comparison wa? made l)et\veeu the morphological characters of these 2 organisms 

 and their behavior upon various nutrient media. The organisms were compared also 

 by means of inoculations of guinea pigs and other rodents. It was found that B. 

 pseudotuberculosis rodentium was not pathogenic for rats but was pathogenic for guinea 

 pigs, while B. pestis was pathogenic for rats and guinea pigs but did not produce 

 tubercles so fi-equently as did the other organism. 



The influence of passing plague bacilli through animals upon the virulence 

 of these bacilli for different species of animals, E. Otto (ZtscJtr. Hyg. u. lufect- 

 ionakrunk., 41 (1902), Xo. 3, pii. 3S0-4O9). — During the experiments recorded in this 

 paper plague bacilli were inoculated into ral)bits, guinea pigs, rats, and mice, for the 

 purpose of determining the influence of these animals ujion the virulence of the 

 bacilli. It was found as a result of these experiments that plague bacilli could be 

 subjected to repeated passages without causing any diminution of virulence for the 

 species of animal in question. It appeared to be impossible to produce any perma- 

 nent increase in the virulence of the bacilli by passage through animals, but in the 

 case of rats a tendency was manifested toward localization in the lymphatic glands 

 accompanied with an increase in the toxicity of the organism. No alteration in 

 regard to the virulence of the bacilli for different species of animals was observed 

 after sul)jecting the organisms to repeatetl passages through one species. 



Short notes on a new chicken disease, H. Streit [Ontario Agr. Col. loul Expt. 

 Farm I'pt. 190£, pp. 95-97, figs. 2). — An apparently infectious disease broke out 

 at Preston, Ont., and caused a great loss among chickens. The clinical symp- 

 toms are progressive anemia, sleepiness, paleness of the mucous membranes, and 

 profuse diarrhea toward the termination of the disease, w^hich results in death after 

 from 2 weeks to 2 or more months. In some cases the bones were softened as in 

 rickets, the spleen was usually enlarged to some extent, and the liver greatly enlarged. 

 The liver also exhibited gray nodules, from which rod-like structures were isolated. 

 From the blood of the liver numerous motile protozoa were obtained, and experi- 

 ments were made to determine whether the disease could be directly transmitted 

 by inoculation with these organisms. Diseased fowls were kept with healthy ones 

 for several weeks without definite results; healthy fowls were fed with diseased 

 organs, also without positive results. Quinin administered in doses of 2 to 6 gr. 

 twice a day appeared to have no influence upon the progress of the disease. This 

 disease is believed to be distinct from the entero-hepatitis in turkeys, as described by 

 T. Smith. 



Liver disease in poultry {Bd. Agr. [London], Leaflet 78, pp. 4)- — Notes on the 

 external symptoms, pathological anatomy, cause, prevention, and treatment of this 

 disease. 



The identity of human and avian diphtheria, F. C. Harrison [Ontario Agr. 

 Col. and ExpA. Farm Rpt. 1902, pp. 98-104). — The author discusses the literature of 

 this subject, with a bibliography of 48 titles. During the author's investigations 

 300 fowls have been under observation or have been inoculated. A number of fowls 

 were inoculated with fresh serum obtained from A^accine manufacturers, and other 

 birds were treated with fresh horse serum. The.se experiments showed that diph- 

 theria antitoxin produced no effect when inoculated in chickens suffering from fowl 

 diphtheria. Some positive results were to have been expected if the bacteria of 

 human and avian diphtheria were the same. Ordinary horse serum gave better 

 results than antidii)htheritic serum but was not a specific for fowl diphtheria. 

 Inoculation experiments indicated that the bacillus of human diphtheria was not 

 pathogenic for hens. Cultures were obtained from over 200 fowls which had died 

 of fowl diphtheria or were killed in some stage of the disease, and no trace of bacilli 



