1118 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



VETERINARY SCIENCE AND PRACTICE. 



A study of natural immunity, K. Tirko {C'enlhl. liuJct. it. Par., 1. AhL, f)rig.,3G 

 {i;/04), Xo. 1, pp. l(i.]-lll). — Tlic literature of this subject in l)riefly discussed. The 

 author's experiments were largely confined to a study of oviserum obtained from a 

 solution of the yolk of hen's eggs in albumen. After a period of 20 to 30 days this 

 mixture developed such a pronounced bacteriolytic power as to destroy \ of its 

 weight of an anthrax culture without losing any of its strength. Repeated injections 

 of oviserum followed by inoculation with anthrax bacilli were found to hasten the 

 death of rabl)its. A single injection of 5 gm. oviserum per 1 kg. of live weight of the 

 animal was found to prolong the cour.«e of the disea.se. 



A report on infection, natural and artificial immunity, toxins, immune 

 sera, etc. {.Tahresher. Thlrr-Chcin., 3.2 [IHOS) , jjp. 889-986).— An elal)()rate bibliog- 

 raphy is presented of literature relating to this subject and published during the year 

 1902. The more important articles are reviewed at considerable length. 



Immune sera, A. Wasseem.\xx, trans, by C. Bolduan {New York: John Wiley & 

 Sons, 1904, pp. IX-\-77, figs. 4)- — In this volume a general account is given of the 

 nature, chemical affinities and action of hemolysins, cytotoxins, and precipitins. 

 The relation of the.se bodies is discussed with special reference to the various theories 

 of immunity and susceptibility to bacterial disea.ses. 



The coagulating po-wer of serum, .T. Bordet and O. Gexgou [Ann^ Inst. Pas- 

 teur, 18 (1.904), No. 2, pp. 98-11.5). ■ — This article contains the results of the continua- 

 tion of the authors' studies regarding the coagulation of the blood and the factors 

 which are concerned in this process. It was found during these investigations that 

 the serum possessed not only the power of coagulating fibrinogen, but also of increas- 

 ing considerably the production of fibrin ferment at the expen.se of the ferment 

 which was peculiar to the blood plasma. The power of transforming fibrinogen into 

 fibrin was exercised even in the absence of lime, while the increase in the production 

 of ferment requires the presence of calcium salts for its operation. 



Experiments relating to the phenomenon of agglutination, C. Nicolle 

 {Ann. Inst. Pasteur, 18 {1904), N '•, pp. 209-240, figs. 7).— Attention is called to the 

 necessity of adopting a uniform technique in arriving at satisfactory results from 

 experiments in different pha.«es of agglutination. The author's experiments involved 

 the use of a number of bacterial organisms, especially the typhoid bacillus, and the 

 experimental animals were chiefly rabbits. While it is possible to produce a specific 

 and quite powerful agglutinin in bacterial cultures, this agglutinin is considered as 

 distinct from the agglutinin produced in a living animal body by the use of cultures 

 of the .same bacillus. The agglutinin is apparently, in the case of some species of 

 bacteria, produced In' the flagella of the bacteria. 



Contributions to the study of hemagglutinins and hemolysins, AV. W. Ford 

 and J. T. Halsey {Jour. Med. Research, 11 {1904), No. 2, pp. 403-423).— As a result 

 of the comparative study of the various chemical bodies in the blood of mammals 

 and birds the authors conclude that the use of the constituents of the blood corpus- 

 cles, laked blood, or stroma of one species of animal results in the production of spe- 

 cific bodies — lysins and agglutinins. In a serum which is strongly hemolytic, a rapid 

 solution of the blood corpuscles conceals the appearance of agglutination. In an 

 immune serum the solution of the blood corpuscles in high dilutions may not take 

 place , although agglutination occurs promi^tly. It is concluded that the phenomena 

 of agglutination and lysis can not be made to occur independently by the injection 

 of different constituents of the blood corpuscles. These phenomena are held to be 

 inseparably connected. 



Blood immunity and blood relationship, a demonstration of certain blood 

 relationships amongst animals by means of precipitin tests for blood, 

 G. H. F. NuTTALL {Cambridge: Univ. Press, 1904, pp. XII-\-4U, pis. 2, figs. .^).— The 



