ANNUAL REPORT, 1939 95 



8. Farm Department Brucellosis Control and Eradication. The laboratory 

 cooperated in this work by testing the following blood samples for Brucella 

 infection: 674 bovine, 60 porcine, and 1 equine. The standard tube agglutination 

 method was used. 



Studies of Neoplastic and Neoplastic-like Diseases. (Carl Olson, Jr.) The 

 transmissible lymphoid tumor of the chiciven whose origin was described in a 

 previous Annual Report (for Year Ending November 30, 1938) has been carried 

 through 39 serial passages. No change in the type of disease produced has been 

 observed. Successful transmission of the disease has apparently been dependent 

 upon the presence of living cells in the material used for transplantation. In 

 some instances whole blood of birds with the tumor has been used successfully 

 as an inoculum. Attempts to obtain an active extract from the tumor tissue have 

 thus far been negative. Regression of the transplant after a period of active 

 growth was noted in some chickens and further inoculations of transplants in 

 these chickens have failed to grow. Transplants of the tumor did not grow in 

 new sites in chickens in which growth of a previous transplant had become well 

 established. Transplants of the tumor grew readily, however, in chickens spon- 

 taneously affected with fowl paralysis. This would seem to indicate a difference 

 in the pathological lymphoid tissue concerned in these two diseases. 



Attempts have been made to transmit experimentally other spontaneous cases 

 of neoplastic disease (some similar to the above and others dissimilar) and some 

 spontaneous cases of fowl paralysis. To date such transmission has not been 

 observed. 



Nearly 300 instances of spontaneous neoplastic disease have been collected 

 among chickens derived from various sources. This material is being studied to 

 determine the relative incidence as well as the characteristics of the various types 

 of neoplasia. 



Observations on the antigenic properties of chicken erythrocytes have been 

 made during the past three years. Previous work by other investigators has 

 indicated that the individual components of the antigen mosaic of the chicken 

 erythrocyte are for the most part inherited as dominant properties, although 

 there are some whose presence indicates a complicated inheritance. This phase of 

 work was entered upon as an adjunct to the inbreeding of a group of chickens 

 for the purpose of securing experimental stock of relatively similar genetic con- 

 stitution. For the purpose of studying the blood cells of these chickens the 

 method of Landsteiner and Levine {Soc. Expt. Biol, and Med. Proc. 30:209-212, 

 1932-33) was followed. In this method advantage is taken of the ability of serum 

 of normal cattle to agglutinate erythrocytes of chicken blood. By cross absorption 

 tests the erythrocytes of individuals of a group of chickens may be shown to have 

 a different antigenic structure. Differences in the agglutinating ability of serums 

 from different cattle were found and in this work serum from the same cow was 

 used in the successive tests. 



The group of chickens upon which these observations were made included an 

 original lot of inbred birds and two succeeding generations of progeny from this 

 original lot. The original group of 21 birds were brothers and sisters. They 

 had only five individuals for great-grandparents instead of a possible eight; two 

 of the grandparents were brother and sister and two others were sired by the 

 same male (half brother and sister). The two succeeding generations from this 

 stock have resulted from the mating of brother and sister. Three groups or types 

 of erythrocNtes have been classified in these chickens by the method employed. 

 Group I erythrocytes are characterized by the ability to remove all agglutinating 

 power of the particular cow serum used in these tests for erythrocytes of other 

 chickens in this family. Group II erythrocytes have the ability to remove the 

 agglutinating ability of the cow serum for only the erythrocytes of the same 



