372 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Dec 



BIOLOGICAL NOTES. 



h. H. PAMMEL. 



Tsetse Fly Disease. — Plimmer and Bradford (Veterin- 

 arian 72 : 648) give a preliminary note on the morphology 

 and distribution of the organism found in the Tsetse fly dis- 

 ease. The organism is called by them Trypanosoma brucii, 

 and according to Buetschli belongs to the order Flagellata 

 and to the sub-group Monadina. According to these inves- 

 tigators the reproduction is by division which is of two 

 kinds, longitudinal and transverse, and conjugation. This 

 consists essentially of the fusion of micro-nuclei of the con- 

 gugating organs. Amoeboid forms are found with and with- 

 out fiagella but always possessing a macro- and micro- 

 nucleus. The spleen is the organ in which these forms oc- 

 cur in greatest abundance. The whole spleen is filled in 

 every part with plasmodia. The enlargement of the spleen 

 is caused by masses of plasmodia. 



Mallein. — John A. W. Dollar summarizes as follows con- 

 cerning the report of the Glanders Committee appointed 

 by the Board of Agriculture of England. (Veterinarian 

 72 : 657). The evidence before the committee in regard to 

 the use of mallein is somewhat conflicting. It appears cer- 

 tain that judged by the reaction of the injection of mallein 

 a considerable number of cases of disease are detected 

 which would not have been diagnosed as glanders by the 

 ordinary clinical signs. Mallein is therefore a very sensi- 

 tive diagnostic reagent. 



Milk of Tuberculous Animals. — The Seventh Interna- 

 tional Congress of Veterinary Surgeons make the follow- 

 ing recommendations with regard to the utilization of milk 

 of tuberculous animals. The milk of tuberculous animals 

 should not be used for human food if the animals are emaci- 

 ated or affected with tuberculosis of the udder. In accord- 

 ance with the mode of procedure in Denmark and Sweden, 

 the emaciated tuberculous dairy animals should be imme- 

 diately removed from the farms and slaughtered, compen- 

 sation given to owners. In regard to flesh they recommend 

 that all organs affected with tuberculosis, together with 



