In these experiments the hook-worm anaemia of dogs does not appear to be exactly analogous to the corresponding disease in man, but differs from it in two essential particulars, namely, that only young animals suffer and that in them its course progresses much more rapidly to a fatal termination.

Older dogs, although not altogether insusceptible, acquire infection only to a moderate extent, which gives rise to a minor degree of anaemia. From this they gradually recover, even in spite of repeated and continued attempts at re-infection.

The anaemia in young dogs was characterised by great loss of weight, emaciation, prostration and intestinal haemorrhage, but in no case was expistaxis observed.

The blood volume of dogs suffering from the minor degree of hookworm anaemia is not materially altered, but if anything is somewhat diminished. The oxygen capacity of the blood per unit of body weight is also, on the average, somewhat decreased.

Infection is generally accompanied by distinct though not profuse haemorrhage, which is most marked in the early stages, but tends to disappear.

Eosinophilia was not a constant sign either of infection or of disease.

Evidence of blood regeneration was furnished by the appearance of large numbers of erythroblasts (normoblasts) which increased with the progress of the disease.

Cats are much less easily infected than dogs, and monkeys are altogether insusceptible. Man, also, were found to be insusceptible to infection with the dog hook-worm.

My friend Major Wesley Clemesha, I.M.S., in a recent contribution1 to the Journal of Hygiene is good enough inter alia to say:

“It may be safely stated that anything which Dr A. C. Houston writes on the subject of water bacteriology is received with very great interest and respect, and his recent report on the bacteriological characters of Bacillus coli in raw, stored and filtered river water (Metropolitan Water Board, 7th Report on Research Work) is no exception to the rule. The report is of very great interest to all engaged in the study of water bacteriology, particularly in England.”

The following investigation was undertaken during November and December 1911 with the object of determining the source of infection in a series of cases of anthrax which occurred in the same yarn mill. The investigation resulted in proving that anthrax spores were present in a variety of East India wool and in the yarn manufactured therefrom.

Inagglutinable strains of B. typhosus are of considerable interest bacteriologists both from a practical and theoretical aspect. These strains present the usual characteristics of the typhoid bacillus, with exception that they are not agglutinated by anti-typhoid sera, if and such a contingency be overlooked one may fail to recognise that one dealing with a typhoid infection. This feature persists in the subcultures for many months, thus differentiating the inagglutinable strains from the many strains of B. typhosus which agglutinate with difficulty when freshly isolated but which regain their full agglutinability after one or two subcultures. Since their discovery these inagglutinable strains have been investigated on several occasions without any definite agreement as to the condition being arrived at.

(1) The type of summer diarrboea usually seen in the wards of general hospitals was rare in Warrington in the summer of 1911.

(2) Multiple invasion of houses occurred in 19 (29%) of 67 fatal cases investigated.

(3) Consecutive onset of the disease among the members of the household was the rule.

(4) The average diarrhoeal rate for the several wards of the town varied directly as

(a) the average birth rate;

(b) the zymotic rate corrected for zymotic diarrhoea;

(c) the relative poverty of the inhabitants of the ward.

(5) Relative overcrowding existed in the houses in which deaths took place from diarrhoea.

(6) Cleanliness of houses is an important factor in the prevention of diarrhoea.

In recent years much work has been done on the bacterial content of milk, chiefly with a view to demonstrating the principal sources of contamination and at the same time collecting data to aid in the fixing of a bacterial standard for “clean” milk. On looking through the various publications one is particularly impressed by the lack of uniformity in the length of the period of incubation of gelatine and agar plates. Some observers adopt a period of only a few days while others prefer to incubate for 8–10 days before counting their plates. It does not yet seem to be generally recognised, in Britain at all events, that, if the highest figures possible are to be obtained, the incubation period must be longer than three days.

The process of subjecting flour to the whitening action of dilute nitrous fumes has grown so extensively during the past ten or twelve years, that it is estimated that more than half of the enormous amount of flour utilised for making bread and for other purposes is now bleached or tinted by this method. Yet none of this bleached or artificially whitened flour is sold to the public as such specifically, or marked by any distinctive label, to show that it has passed through a chemical process.

The American method of standardizing tetanus antitoxin has been studied and two samples (Toxins 3 and 4 of this paper) have been examined.

It has been found that:

1. Toxin 3 remained stable for two years under conditions which were not absolutely ideal, as the tube containing the supply was repeatedly opened during that time and the air in this neighbourhood, especially in winter, is very moist.

Toxin 4 has so far remained stable for 12 months. This toxin has been distributed in small quantities in tubes which have been exhausted and sealed in the flame.

2. By itself each of these toxins has given results consistent within the error of experiment when used to establish the M.L.D. and also to test a serum. But when the same serum was evaluated by both toxins they gave differing values. This dffference in value appears to be due to

(a) Deterioration in Toxin 3 which raised the L + dose from 00006—000075.

(b) Excess of toxicity in Toxin 4.

Whether this is due to increased susceptibility of the race of animals used for the tests can at present be only a matter of surmise.

3. The American method shows clearly that tetanus antitoxin can be heated at 57°C. for one hour on each of three successive days without loss of antitoxin provided no antiseptic (e.g. phenol) be present. Should such a preservative have been added then the loss on heating amounts to about 12% and occurs during the first hour.

4. Tetanus antitoxin containing phenol appears to be more susceptible to heat than diphtheria antitoxin under the same conditions.

The general conclusion arrived at is that, provided control experiments are carried out from time to time (as in the case of standard diphtheria toxin), this method of standardizing tetanus antitoxin is—as claimed for it—simple, accurate and reliable.