ABSTRACTS 



379 



IV. The Difference in Behavior in Immune Serum between Cultivated 

 Non-Virulent Treponema pallidum and Virulent Treponemata from 

 Lesions. Hans Zinsser, J. G. Hopkins, and M. McBurney. 

 (Jour. Exp. Med., 1916, 23, 341-352.) 



Although antibodies can be produced by the immunization of ani- 

 mals with cultivated Treponema pallidum, and although these antibodies 

 exert specific agglutinative and treponemicidal action upon the culture 

 organisms, they possess, at least in the concentration so far obtained 

 by the authors in rabbits and sheep, practically no action on virulent 

 treponemata obtained directly from lesions. — G. B. W. 



An Experimental Study of Parotitis (Mumps). Martha Wollstein. 



(Jour. Exp. Med., 1916, 23, 353-375.) 



Cats injected in the parotid gland and testicle with a bacterial sterile 

 filtrate of the sahvary secretion of children in the active stage of paro- 

 titis, or mumps, can be made to develop a pathological condition hav- 

 ing several points of resemblance to the condition present in mumps 

 in human beings. Definite changes in the temperature, blood leuco- 

 cytes, and inoculated organs take place after an incubation stage of 

 from 5 to 8 days. These pathological changes are intensified by suc- 

 cessive transfers through a small series of cats of the extract and emul- 

 sion of the parotid gland and testicle previously inoculated. These 

 changes can also be prevented or reduced when the extract or emul- 

 sion is previously incubated with blood serum obtained from a cat 

 which has survived inoculation. Normal serum, on the other hand 

 has no such inhibiting effect. AVhether the filtered sahvary secre- 

 tion contains a microorganism and, if so, whether it is the specific mi- 

 crobic cause of parotitis, or mumps, remains to be ascertained. 



G. B. W. 



The Etiologij, Mode of Infection, and Specific Therapy of WeiVs Disease 

 (Spirochaetosis icterohaemorrhagica) . R. Inda, Y. Ido, R. Hoki, 

 R. Kaneko and H. Ito. (Jour. Exp. Med., 1916, 23, 377-402.) 

 In the course of their investigations of that endemic disease of por- 

 tions of Japan, which agrees clinically with Weil's disease, so called, 

 the authors discovered a spirochaetal microorganism which they 

 name Spirochaeta icterohaemorrhagiae, and which they believe to be 

 the cause of the disease. These spirochaetes live in the blood outside 

 the cellular elements and in various organs and tissues. Infection 

 is supposed to be by way of the alimentary canal or it may enter through 

 the skin. The spirochaetes are excreted through the urine. The 

 serum of convalescents possesses bactericidal and bacteriolytic proper- 

 ties and recovery from the disease confers a lasting immunity. Treat- 

 ment with salvarsan appears to offer promising possibilities, while 

 passive immunization with immune serum has already given gratify- 

 ing results. Many excellent plates are appended.— G. B. W. 



