182 G..G. Heslop: 



.14 positive reactions the two " doubtful " reacting sera, we have 

 .a total error of three in 16, or 18.75 per cent., which is a very 

 liigh percentage of error in a diagnostic test. 



As it could not be claimed that the complement fixation test 

 described was sufficiently accurate to warrant its general appli- 

 •cation as a diagnostic method for contagious pleuro-pneumonia, 

 further research work was considered desirable in order to ascer- 

 tain — 



1. Whether the test could be rendered more accurate in 



its results. 



2. Whether the technique for the test could be simplified 



without reducing the accuracy of the reaction. 



3. Whether certain extracts of tissue and of culture pos- 



sessed greater value as antigens for the test than the 



antigen previously used. 

 The present paper deals with this further research work which 

 lias been carried out in the laboratories of the Veterinary Re- 

 search Institute during the current year. I desire to express 

 my grateful appreciation and thanks to Dr. S. S. Cameron, Direc- 

 tor of x\griculture, Victoria ; Professor H. A. Woodruff, Director 

 of the Veterinary Research Institute, Melbourne University; 

 W. A. N. Robertson, Esq., B.V.Sc, Chief Veterinary Officer, 

 Department of Agriculture, Victoria; Dr. L. B. Bull, Deputy 

 Director South Australian Laboratory of Pathology and Bac- 

 teriology; Dr. W. J. Penfold, Director of the Commonwealth 

 Serum Laboratories; and the Staff of the Live Stock Division, 

 Department of Agriculture, Victoria, for the assistance they 

 liave rendered me during the course of this research. 



Fermentation Reactions of the Organism or 

 Contagious Pleuro-Pneumonia. 



With reference to the fermentation reactions of the organism 

 of contagious pleuro-pneumonia, previous work had shown that 

 the organism would grow in Martin's broth plus ox serum to 

 which either saccharose, glucose, maltose, or lactose had been 

 added, but would not grow in similar media to which the alcohol 

 tierivatives mannite and dulcite had been added. ^ As the man- 

 nite and dulcite used was laboratory stock several years old it 

 was decided to repeat the experiment, using new samples of 

 ■mannite and dulcite. 



3. Loc. cit., p. 170. 



