VETERINARY SCIENCE AND PRACTICE. 989 



Experiments were tried in the production of immunity by means of 

 injections witli mixtures of the 1)lood serum of immunized animals and 

 fresh virus. Ten animals which were treated with dift'erent mixtures 

 of these substances are reported upon by the author, and it appears that 

 nine out of this number died when exposed to symptomatic anthrax. 



The author concludes from his experiments that it is a comparatively 

 easy matter to produce immunit}' in sheep by means of the injection 

 of blood serum and later of active virus. No satisfactory results were 

 produced, however, by injections of mixtures of the serimi and virus 

 in any proportions which were tried by the author. 



The dissolution of the anthrax bacillus, G. ]Malfitano {Corivpt. 

 Rend. Acad. Sci. Paris, 131 {1900), ^Y.y. ^, pp. m5-^PcS0.— Deg-enera- 

 tive forms of the anthrax bacillus have long been observed in old cul- 

 tures or in cultures upon unfavorable media. Under such conditions, 

 the anthrax bacillus dissolves rapidly and loses its form. Such 

 dissolution is believed by the author to be a spontaneous process 

 due to the presence of a proteolytic diastase in the cell. Cultures 

 heated for lo minutes at a temperature of from 55 to 60^ C. dissolved 

 more rapidly than those which are maintained at a normal tempera- 

 ture. A number of antiseptic substances, such as corrosive sublimate, 

 formaldehyde, and cyanid of potash, kill the protoplasm of the bacillus, 

 but hinder the action of diastases at the same time. The author believes 

 that a number of unfavorable conditions may result in the same rapid 

 action of the diastase found in the cell of the bacillus and in its con- 

 sequent dissolution. 



Investigations on the influence of the substratum upon the 

 action of disinfectants tOTvard the spores of anthrax baciUus, 

 U. Otsuki {IIy(j. Bund.schan, 10 {1900), Xo. 4. pp. 7.>i-i7^).— Cul- 

 tures of anthrax bacillus were kept until abundant spore formation 

 began to take place, when the material was brought in conta<'t with 

 the following substances and allowed to dry upon them: Silk threads, 

 wool threads, pigeon feathers, rabbit hair, silk clothing, leather, wood 

 of the fir tree, filter paper, cotton, glass beads, cover glasses, and gar- 

 nets. The materials thus covered with the spores of anthrax bacillus 

 were then subjected to disinfection by diflerent methods, among which 

 the most important were steam and a 5 per cent solution of carbolic 

 acid. A table is given showing the difierent lengths of time that 

 spores lived upon the difierent su))stances. The results of this study 

 may be stated as follows: The resisting power of anthrax spores 

 depends upon their origin and their age. The spores retain their 

 resisting power unchanged for a long time, if kept dry at a low tem- 

 perature. The temperature at which spore formation took place has 

 no influence upon the resistance of the spores. The action of the dis- 

 infectants depends upon the structure of the materials upon which 

 spores are dried. Spores which are attached to porous suljstances are 



19607— No. 10 7 



