SYNOPSIS OF CONTINENTAL VETERINARY JOURNALS. 697 
presence of crystals, and neutral or acid reaction. The 
acid or neutral reaction of the typhoid plasma serves to 
explain the reason of the black or violet colour of the blood, 
which in consequence is surcharged with carbonic acid. The 
crystals of typhoid blood were proved to contain iron, and, 
therefore, consist of haemoglobin, set free by solution of the 
red corpuscles. Thus, such blood, in consequence of its 
neutral or acid character, has diminished power of solution 
of carbolic acid, and also an agent other than oxygen circu¬ 
lates in the plasma, destroys the haemoglobin, and thus 
impedes elimination of carbonic anhydride and blood changes. 
The blood of a healthy horse defibrinated and subjected to 
the action of ether has the same physical, chemical, and 
microscopical characters as typhoid blood. Its colouring 
matter is set free by dissolution of the red globules, and 
crystallises either in laminated crystals of various geo¬ 
metrical forms or in rod-shaped bodies, arranged in a stellate 
manner, resembling in form those found in typhoid blood. 
We may conclude that in typhoid blood there is a consider¬ 
able diminution of fibrine and of globules. When bile is 
added to blood, or injected into the veins of a living animal, 
it causes alteration in the blood similar to those resulting 
from typhoid. Typhoid serum was submitted to a competent 
chemist, who reported, “ The serum was remarkable for its 
viscid consistence and its markedly yellow-greenish colour. 
Treated with nitric acid, it gives a bluish-grey coagulum. 
Concentrated sulphuric acid gave an indigo-blue coagulum , 
forming a bluish-green solution in excess of the acid. Nitric 
acid added to this gives a purple-reddish colour. The pre¬ 
dominance of blue or green colour in the solution depends 
on the amount of acid employed. The serum, when agitated 
with chloroform or ether coagulates without giving up its 
colouring matter to these solvents.” All this tends to show 
that the serum contains one of the most important of the 
colouring matters of the bile—biliverdin. Injection into the 
veins of water vapour collected in stables destroyed a mule 
in less than eight days, and autopsy, including microscopical 
examination of the blood, disclosed such lesions and altera¬ 
tions as occurred in the six horses typhoid-affected which 
occupied the stable from which the vapour was procured. 
The liquid injected acted like bile in dissolving the plasma. 
Water collected similarly from the stables of healthy horses 
in three cases gave negative results. 
M. Delafond and Professor Bassi, of Turin Veterinary 
School , have pointed out certain staff-like bodies which are, 
in the authors' opinion, only fragments resulting from break- 
