ABSTRACTS
209
caprisepticus is the largest of bipolar organisms, pleomorphic, non-motile, non-sporing,
and gram-negative. It is non-haemolytic and reduces litmus-milk but does not
coagulate it. Most strains produce indol but none hydrogen-sulphide. Growth in broth
resembles that of most other pasteurella. On agar it develops in dew-drop-like colonies
which coalesce to form a feebly shining film. The authors consider that its inability to
grow on the Drigalski plate, its poorly saccharolytic properties and inagglutinability
by five of the Salmonella sera further relegate it to the Pasteurella group as opposed to
S. para-B. and related species.
Cultures are viable at 37°C. for 35 days and in Tuche's medium for 75 days. They
are killed at 58°C. in one hour.
Infectivity.—Filtrates of morbid material, and pleural exudates are non-infective.
Defibrinated blood gives rise to no more than a transient pyrexia. Saline emulsions of
lungs obtained from acute cases of the disease and the supernatant fluid resulting there-
from after sedimentation are infective to goats by intra-pulmonary inoculation.
Cultures are fatal to mice, guinea-pigs, rabbits and pigeons, non-fatal to dogs and
cats and non-infective to fowls. The calf suffers from mere pyrexia after a subcutaneous
inoculation of 1 c. c., but dies after an intravenous inoculation of 5 c. c. Cultures are
fatal to goats by all the routes excepting the intra-tracheal one.
In the second article the prophylactic and curative measures are described. A
formalised killed culture, a formalised saline emulsion of hepatised lung and pleural
effusion, and dried powder made from the emulsion were tried. The emulsion was
found to be the best, protecting all the fifteen vaccinated animals against contact
infection.
Serum made from affected goats, given intravenously at 20 c. c. every three days,
was found to have a curative effect. [V. R. R.]
Vitamins and Minerals in Poultry Nutrition. By E. M. CRUICKSHANK,
Nutrition Abstracts and Reviews, Vol. 5, p. 1, 1935.
In this article the author has reviewed the question of vitamins and minerals in
relation to poultry nutrition. The subject is discussed under two main heads. (1) The
relation of minerals to poultry problems such as the calcium and phosphorus metabolism
during the reproductive cycle, the requirements of the growing chick for these minerals,
perosis, availability of various lime and phosphorus compounds, the effect of iodine sup-
plement and the toxic action of fluorides, magnesium salts and excess of sodium chloride.
A brief mention is also made of the effect of minerals on the resistance to disease. (2)
The need of vitamins A, B, C, D and E for growing as well as adult birds. It is shown
that deficiency of vitamin A appears to predispose the fowl to the onset of infectious
diseases, that some of the vitamins of the B group are necessary for normal health and
growth and that the requirement of vitamin D is very high during growth and still
higher during egg production. In vitamin D deficiency in young chickens, gross skeletal
changes such as beading of the ribs, deformity of the breast bone and enlargement of
the epiphyses of the long bones are usually present. An enlargement of the parathyroid
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