VETERINARY SCIENCE AND PRACTICE. 1089 



methods for diagnosing" anthrax, the author found that the bacterio- 

 logical method and the microscopical method of recognizing the anthrax 

 bacillus in the blood are rendered dillicult when the anthrax carcass is 

 allowed to decompose to some extent before the examination is made. 

 In order that the microscopical examination of the blood may be relia- 

 ble, such examination should be made innnediately after death. In the 

 hands of experienced practicing veterinarians, mistakes in the diagnosis 

 of anthrax are perhaps seldom made from judging external symptoms; 

 but in order that the diagnosis should be certain, the author believes 

 that a microscopical examination of the blood should be required b}^ law. 

 It is recognized that the difficulties of preventing the spread of anthrax 

 are increased after opening the bodies of dead animals. Detailed direc- 

 tions are therefo're given for the destruction of such carcasses. 



Experimental researches on symptomatic anthrax; immuniza- 

 tion, E. Leclainche and H. Vallee {Ann. Inst. Pasteur, IJ^, {1900), 

 JS'o. 8,p2>. ol3-53If). — ^The author conducted experiments in the inmui- 

 nization of animals against this disease according to three different 

 methods — inoculation with virus vaccine, pure cultures, and immuniz- 

 ing serum. It had already been shown that inoculation with cultures 

 of Bacterium chauveel heated for 2 or 3 hours to a temperature of 

 80 to 85° C. did not kill the experimental animals. The ^'irus vaccine 

 of Lyon is prepared from virulent fluid collected from the tumors of 

 infected animals. This fluid wdien desiccated at a temperature of 37° 

 C. gives a brown powder which incloses virulent spores. One part of 

 the powder is then mixed with two parts of water and the vaccine for 

 the tirst inoculation is obtained by heating for 7 hours at a tempera- 

 ture of 100 to 104° C. The vaccine for the second inoculation is 

 obtained by heating at a temperature of '.»0 to 94° C. for the same 

 length of time. 



The tumors of infected animals occasionally contain other organisms 

 beside that of symptomatic anthrax. In order to prepare pure vac- 

 cines it is necessary to make use of blood drawn from the heart or 

 large vessels immediatel}^ after death. In the use of pure vaccines it 

 was found that a vaccine obtained by heating to a temperature of 102° 

 ma}"^ be inoculated in young guinea pigs in doses of 0.05 gm. without 

 producing death. The vaccine obtained b}^ heating to a temperature 

 of 92° C. killed guinea pigs when inoculated in the same sized doses. 

 Cattle which were inoculated with heated cultures acquired an immunity 

 which enabled them to resist subse(|uent inoculation with virulent cul- 

 tures in doses of 0.02 gm. Animals which were inoculated successively 

 with heated and nonheated cultures were found to possess complete 

 immunity. Nine days after intramuscular inoculation of virulent fluid 

 from infected animals, it was impossible to note any reaction, while 

 the check animal died within 30 hours. 



The authors conclude from their experiments that powdered vac- 

 cines prepared according to Arloing and Cornevin are not attenuated, 



22065— No. 11 7 



