VETERINARY SCIENCE AND PRACTICE. 613 



shops, and means of collecting sputum. Attention was also devoted to the various 

 methods of caring for human consumptives. 



One meeting of the general council was devoted to a discussion of human and 

 bovine tuberculosis (pp. 295, 296). At this meeting papers were presented by 

 Kohler, Nocard, Arloing, De Schweinitz, Schroeder, and von Behring on the question 

 of the unity of the various forms of tuberculosis. All of these speakers except Kohler 

 came to the definite conclusion that tuberculosis of man and cattle is one and the 

 same disease and may be transmitted from man to animals, or vice versa. Kohler 

 expressed the opinion that the question of the unit}' or duality of tuberculosis was 

 not j'et satisfactorily determined. 



The warfare against tuberculosis, M. P. Ravenel {Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc, 42 

 {1903) , A'o. ns, j^p. 212-219). — A discussion of the problem of tuberculosis from the 

 viewpoint that the disease is transmissible, preventable, and curable in its early 

 stages. The relationship between the human and bovine bacillus is discussed and 

 notes are given on the most important method of repression of animal tuberculosis 

 and on the recent methods for producing immunity by means of serum therapy and 

 otherwise. 



Modifications of the human tubercle bacillus, J. Auclair (Arch. Mkl. Exper. 

 et Anat. Path., Paris, 1. ser., 15 {1903), No. 4, pp- 469-488). — A series of experiments 

 was undertaken by the author for the purpose of testing the possible modifications 

 to which human tubercle bacillus was susceptible when cultivated on various nutrient 

 media. Detailed descriptions are given of the appearance of this organism when 

 cultivated on bouillon, agar, potato, gelatin, and other media. The morphological 

 characters and staining reactions of bacilli treated by different methods are also 

 compared. 



Inoculation experiments were made on rabbits and guinea pigs by subcutaneous, 

 peritoneal, intratracheal, and intravenous methods. For these experiments the 

 homogeneous form of the bacillus was used. During these experiments it was found 

 that by cultivation on various media and especially by the use of artificial devices, 

 such as agitation, the tubercle bacillus could be transformed into a saprophyte. In 

 this form the bacillus grows on ordinary media in the form of a homogeneous culture. 

 Growth is rapid. The bacillus is motile, strictly aerobic, ferments lactose, liquefies 

 gelatin, and takes ordinary stains. 



When this form of the organism is inoculated into animals it is found to have lost 

 it^ virulence and infectiousness, but is still slightly toxic. The toxin of the homo- 

 geneous form of the tubercle bacillus is quite different from the tuberculin of a viru- 

 lent form of the bacillus and when inoculated into animals does not cause pneu- 

 monia, caseation, or sclerosis. 



Notes on the article of Krompecher and Zimmermann concerning- the 

 virulence of tubercle bacilli, Vagedes {CentM. Bakt. u. Par., 1. Alt., Orig., 34 

 {1903), No. 6, pp. 507, 508). — A controversial article occupied with a discussion of 

 the possibility of variation in the virulence of the tubercle bacillus. 



The action of the tubercle bacillus in experimental pulmonary tuberculo- 

 sis, G. Herxheimer {Beitr. Path. Anat. u. Allg. Path., 33 {1903), No. 3, pp. 363-408, 

 pis. 2). — The problems connected with a general study of tuberculosis are briefly 

 outlined by the author. Experiments were made for the j^urpose of studying the 

 behavior of the tubercle bacillus in cases of pulmonary infection. In these experi- 

 ments the bacilli were injected directly into the lungs or by the intratracheal method. 

 Fresh culture of tubercle bacilli in glycerin-bouillon were used. 



The experimental animals were rabbits and guinea pigs. In some cases the bacilli 

 were introduced in a dry form into the trachea. The experimental animals were 

 killed at periods varying from \ hour to 7 weeks after inoculation and microscopic 

 preparations were made for further study. Detailed notes are given on the patho- 

 logical findings of this investigation. According to the results obtained by the author 



