EXPERIMENTAL PATHOLOGY. 727 
legs; the prognosis is very serious and contagiosity excessive. 
This is the affection which may become the origin of epidemics 
of human diphtheria. Its first cause is a bacillus which differs 
from that of Iyoffier by less virulency. Inoculated to guinea- 
pigs,, when its virulency has been increased they are seen 
to die with the identical phenomena due to the bacillus of 
Tbffier. Contagious catarrh of fowls seems to differ by its 
symptoms and etiology from the disease called aviary diphtheria. 
Between this last and human diphtheria there is only similarity 
of names. Antidiphtheria serum brings on the disappearance 
of the morbid secretions of fowls suffering with contagious 
catanh, arrests their emaciation and, if it does not cure them 
entirely, it prevents the development of the disease as lono- as it 
is used.— (Acad. Med. Belg.) 
Immunity Given to Rabbit by the Injection of Anti¬ 
streptococcic Serum of Horses and a New Mode of Using 
It. [By M.J.,Denys andL. Marchand ].—The serum of the horse 
immunized against streptococcus does not possess bactericidal 
properties proper, against this microbe; it does not destroy it 
directly, but it contains a substance which renders the phagoci- 
tar power of the leucocytes very great. If the antistreptococcic 
serum is submitted to too strong dilution, if the leucocytes are 
few and the micro-organisms numerous, the effect is reduced and 
is not lasting. In other words, by the addition of a little serum 
of an immunized horse, the serum of rabbit becomes, to the point 
of view of phagocytosis equal to the serum of the non-vaccin- 
ated rabbit. When erysipelas occurs in a rabbit it may be cut 
short by small injections of antistreptococcic serum round the 
centre. If, instead of making them in proximity, they are in 
equal doses on further point, the disease will be but little influ¬ 
enced. A region, in which a small dose of antistreptococcic serum 
is inoculated preventively, becomes refractory to a larger dose of 
streptococci.— (Acad. Med. Belg.) 
Ticks and Texas Fever. —Mr. W. D. Clayton, of College 
Station, Tex., has just returned from Columbia, Mo., where he 
spent the past summer in the interest of a Texas cattle fever ex¬ 
periment conducted jointly by the Texas and Missouri Experi¬ 
ment Stations. Eight native cattle dipped and shipped from 
College Station were pastured at the Missouri Station for sev¬ 
enty-four days and no traces of fever appeared. The experiment 
is considered successful as indicating that ticks on Texas cattle 
carry the disease. 
