84
ABSTRACTS
Following a subcutaneous or an intra muscular inoculation, there results a local
indurated swelling characterized by a monocytic infiltration. The lymphatic glands
become enlarged. At the time, the lymp nodes of the throat are affected, encephalitis
develops. The brain shows no macroscopic lesions, but histological examination reveals a
perivascular cuffing, focal areas of monocytic infiltration with some liquefactive necrosis
of the larger areas. There may be cell infiltration and oedema of parts of the meninges.
The lesions are well distributed along the cord. The nasal passages arc congested and
contain catarrhal exudates. The liver and sometimes the kidneys have areas of mono-
cytic infiltration. Pleurisy and peritonitis with sero-fibrinous exudate appears to
be common in the later stages.
The causal organism is not capable of cultivation on ordinary media. The virus is
viable in frozen material up to four months, the longer intervals not tested. Survival in
50 per cent glycerine is poor. It has been propagated in chick embryos for over 60 days
in serial passages. The Berkefeld N. filtrates of infectve tissues did not prove infective.
Immunologically the disease has been differentiated from Western type of equine ence-
phalomyelitis and Listerellosis.
The guinea-pig has been found to be a suitable experimental animal, but the disease
produced in the guinea-pig is different from that in cattle. Cattle suffer from encephalo-
myelitis with late peritonitis and pleurisy without encephalitis. Chances of ' takes '
are optimal after inoculation by the intraperitonial route, and uncertain by the entra¬
cranial route. [V. R. R.]
Some recent observations on fowl paralysis (Neurolymphomatosis). F.
BLAKEMORE, and T. DALLING (1939). Seventh World's Poultry Congr.
and Expos. Proc. U. S. A., 282-6
E XPERIMENTS undertaken to inbreed a strain of fowls which were severely
affected with fowl paralysis showed that the disease was eliminated after the second
generation. There was no evidence of acquired resistance, as the chicks of the fifth
generation were highly susceptible. With the strain so bred, transmission experiments
were carried out by inoculation with tissue emulsions from affected cases or by exposure
to natural infections.
In the first experiment 2 out of 78 artificially inoculated birds developed lymphocytic
infiltration of the nerves and 14 out of 33 fowls placed in contact were affected. The
control fowls obtained from another flock did not contract the disease. The presence of
intestinal parasites among experimental fowls, at the later stage of the disease, was
considered to have no association with neurolymphomatosis.
In subsequent serial passages, using liver suspensions, the virulence of the disease
was considerably increased. In this series 44 out of 56 birds showed lesions of fowl
paralysis. Certain atypical lesions, chiefly in the heart and the liver, consisting of whitish
areas with or without enlargement of the organs were observed.
The histological examination of affected tissues showed that the reaction was essen-
tially one of an inflammatory character, followed by lymphoid infiltration and that
the lesions in the nerves occurred late in the course of the disease.
The causal agent of fowl paralysis contained in the tissues was infective at a certain
stage of the disease and was probably filterable. [J. A. I.]
The treatment of anoestrus in domestic animals with ' Stilboestrol
Dipropionate '. R. F. MONTGOMERIE and GEORGE BROWNLEE
(1941). Vet. Rec. 53, No. 39
T HE authors describe the two years' research on cows and heifers of low fertility
treated with Stilboestrol. They report that the synthetic oestrogen has all the pro-
perties of the natural hormone and at the same time is cheap enough to be used in the
field. The authors treated their cases with 10 mg. in heifer and 20 mm. in heavier
breeds, the drug being given intramuscularly in oil. Experimentally heifers and cows
always conceived when mated at the first oestrus after treatment. The drug is said to
stimulate directly the anterior part of the pituitary body, with the release of follicle
stimulating and luteinising hormones. The authors also suggest a table of doses for
domestic animals. [W. M. K.]