Agglutination Test in Abortion. Ml 



Basal dilutions were made containing 1 of seinini to !) of i-ar- 



holised saline ; the ani<nint of standardised emulsion used in eaeli 

 tube was 0.5 e.c. Results : 



0.02 0.01 0.1 05 CO. piiii 



Seiinii. 



Steer 1 

 2 



+ + .\gglutination and clearintf. 

 + Agglutination. 

 S Slight agglutination. 

 No agglutination. 



From the above, it will be seen that, with the exception of Steer 

 5, no animal gave a positive reaction with less than 0.1 c.c. of 

 pure serum, and only one a definite agglutination with thait 

 amount. With regard to the " S " readings, as mentioned else- 

 where, we do not count these as positives, as the amount of agglu- 

 tination is extremely small — only perceptible on very careful naked 

 eye examination. 



The serum of the positive .steer (5) was also tested by the com 

 plement fixation method, and again gave a positive reaction. 



(c) Standard isal ion of t]ic Bacterial Knndsion. 



In the description of the technique adopted by other workers 

 there is a remarkable absence of detail as to the concentration of 

 the bacterial emulsion. 



Although Mohler and Traum (2) use a metliod of .standardising 

 bacterial emulsion ("agglutinating fluid"), they do so ])y com- 

 paring it Avith "the old titred agglutinating fluid," but how this 

 " old agglutinating fluid " itself was standardised they do not say. 

 nor do the}' indicate what it was like in ai)pearancc. 



MacFadyean and Stofkman ("5) ))icpare " an emulsion of greater 

 turbidity than is ultimately recjuired," and dilute it " until when 

 viewed in one of the small tubes employed for the tests it is faintly 

 hazy in appearance." 



In this laboiatory a method. l)asod upon comparison of tlie emul- 

 eion to be emitloyed with a suspension of Barium sidphate. has 



