BIOLOGICAL THERAPEUTICS 541 



good results from the injection of abortion bacterin have been reported by 

 many veterinarians, nevertheless experimental work along this line has 

 not established definite good results from such treatment. It is essential 

 that in conjunction with any specific treatment the sanitary measures 

 also be given proper attention. 



Extensive investigations of the British Commission on abortion dis- 

 ease have demonstrated that the disease may be reduced to a minimum 

 by single injections of active live abortion organisms. They apparently 

 have demonstrated that a single injection of live organisms when given 

 to virgin heifers and non-pregnant cows at least two months before breed- 

 ing confers to the treated animals an eifective immunity. Similar good 

 results from this treatment are reported by Hadley, who also claims that 

 animals treated with living germs proved protected for two years and 

 probably for a longer time, whereas the British Commission states that 

 it is necessary to continue the inoculations for a time on the infected ani- 

 mals after abortions cease to occur. From all indications immunization 

 with live organisms is most encouraging and at the present time appears 

 to be the best means for controlling the disease. Furthermore the method 

 appears to be without danger as far as the spread of the disease is con- 

 cerned when employed in infected herds. 



EQUINE INFLUENZA. 



This term applies to a group of contagious diseases of horses which 

 are manifested by blood infection, with inflammation of the air passages 

 and frequently associated with pneumonia and pleuropneumonia. 



Cause. — ^We have no positive knowledge on the true causative agent 

 of any of these diseases ; however, it is now believed at least one of them 

 is due to a filtrable virus with the Streptococcus pyogenes equi and the 

 Bacillus equisepticus as secondary invaders. 



Prevention and Treatment. 



The infected animals should be isolated from the healthy ones and 

 placed in well ventilated stables. 



In the treatment of influenza in horses (pink eye, shipping fever, 

 contagious pleuro-pneumonia, stable pneumonia, stockyards disease, etc.), 

 also in purpura hemorrhagica, strangles, septicemia and other infectious 

 catarrhal affections, the value of anti-influenza serum has been thoroughly 

 tested and proved. The serum is also useful as a prophylactic against 

 these diseases. Numerous reports from its use by practicing veterinarians 

 and also from the results on horses of the foreign armies, indicate that 

 improvement is rapid when the minimum subcutaneous dose is 50 mils. 

 The dosage employed and recommended is 50 to 200 mils daily. In all 

 serious, acute cases, the serum should be administered intravenously, the 

 dose being not less than 200 mils. The nature of this serum is such that 

 ill eifects will not follow, no matter how large a dose is given. The fre- 

 quency of the dose depends upon the character of the case, the compli- 

 cations, the extent of toxemia and the results obtained. 



While numerous reports are favorable in regard to this product, 

 others fail to observe any beneficial action from its use. Influenza bac- 

 terin contains streptococci isolated from influenza cases, and while the 

 causative agent of thisD»^'2ec/b5«/W?fr-d»5flf®lefinitely determined, it is 



