260 
SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
K. Van Sande, of Frankfort, reports an interesting experi¬ 
ment in immunizing calves against white scours by treating the 
mothers during gestation. Of 250 cows injected with 20 c.c. of 
an extract from the bacillus of white scours 91.63 per cent, of 
the calves were rendered immune. The author concludes from 
his experiment that by means of this extract immunity is con¬ 
ferred upon the cows and transmitted to the young, rendering 
them refractory to the disease from time of birth. 
In the realm of toxic herbage very little has been accomplished 
aside from the naming and identification of plans which obser¬ 
vation has shown to be poisonous. The loss of livestock from 
poisonous plans, especially on the open range, is very heavy. Sev¬ 
eral species of the so-called loco weeds are proven to be poison¬ 
ous to horses, cattle and sheep, but the identification of the poi¬ 
son has not been made, neither has a satisfactory remedy for the 
disease been found. Larkspur continues to exact an annual toll 
of several millions of dollars in livestock (mostly cattle) in the 
mountainous districts. Wyoming water hemlock ( Cicuta ), 
death cama (Zygadenus) , lupin ( Pupinus ), pathogenic fungi, the 
leaves of wild cherry, cane and Kaffir corn and many others are 
poisoning animals at certain seasons of the year. 
Dr. O. L. Prien, of the Wyoming Experiment Station, as¬ 
sisted by Dr. H. S. Eakins, is working on the project of woody 
aster and its disastrous effect upon sheep. 
To undertake to write a report covering the subject of infec¬ 
tious diseases, even though it be confined to a hint in this case 
and a suggestion in that, reminds me of a certain clubwoman 
Who asked my assistance in preparing a paper on the “ Agricul¬ 
ture of Europe and America,” or again of the man who contem¬ 
plated writing a book 011 “ Universal Knowledge.” 
A few suggestions are offered with the hope that they may 
encourage discussion. 
When we consider how recent is the invention of the com¬ 
pound microscope and how the germ theory of disease has com¬ 
pletely revolutionized the science of disease and their treatment, 
we are astounded at the progress made, and the true scientist with 
becoming modesty admits that as yet we have scarcely more than 
a glimpse of the complex processes of nature. The glory of the 
future in curative as well as preventive medicine is in the remedies 
which nature has provided in the body defenses. The chemic 
substance excreted by the bacilli of tuberculosis and utilized as 
tuberculin affords us the means which renders the detection and 
successful combating* of this disease possible. * * * 
