A total of 637 strains of Salmonella bareilly received from different parts of India between 1959 and 1985 were phage typed using five locally isolated wild phages. The overall typability was 94·5% and 11 different phagc types could be defined. Phago types 10 and 1 were the most prevalent and the geographical and source distribution is described.

Studies on reproduction in a colony of albino mice before and after length of daylight was made constant show no change in litter size. However, there was an increase in the number of post-partum pregnancies after light was made constant and, during the first month thereafter, females were older at first parturition than in previous months.

In the preceding paper we have put forward the result of some experiments in which B. pestis was passed through a series of 26 rats by means of the subcutaneous method and without the intervention of any culture on artificial media. From this series of experiments it appeared that the virulence of the organism was not affected by passage through the ordinary rats of Bombay.

Previous studies of boys at Christ's Hospital school have indicated that annual immunization with influenza virus vaccines did not significantly reduce the total incidence of influenza infection compared to unimmunized subjects. In view of the implications of this result, a similar study was conducted in ferrets to clarify these findings. Groups of ferrets were immunized or infected with a series of influenza A (H3N2) viruses over an 18-month period, and the immunity to subsequent live virus challenge was measured after each virus or vaccine exposure. The results indicated that live virus infection gave a more solid immunity than immunization with inactivated vaccine; and the serum haemagglutination-inhibiting antibody response was greater following immunization than following infection. In addition, differences in immunity could not be explained by measurements of cross-reacting and specific antibody, since the incidence of these antibodies was similar in both infected and immunized animals. The results do not suggest an explanation for the different levels of immunity induced following infection or immunization or the results obtained from the Christ's Hospital study. However, the relative contribution of various immune responses to virus or virus antigen is discussed, and it is suggested that the difference in immunity may lie in the ability of live virus infection to stimulate local antibody.

A considerable degree of uniformity of results of the Wassermann test has been found among five pathologists.

Certain differences (chiefly in the case of weakly positive sera) have, however, been noted. Their main source lies in the use of different methods and not in any lack of personal ability or care on the part of the worker.

It is believed that the number of these could be greatly reduced by adopting a uniform method of performing the test and by standardising the details of the method.

The supply of a standard antigen and haemolysin to pathologists is recommended.

Pregnancies were identified in which maternal IgG antibodies against rubella virus were not detectable by single radial haemolysis. Twenty paired maternal/cord sera were then tested for haemagglutination-inhibiting (HI) activity against rubella virus without kaolin pretreatment of the sera. In the absence of specific antibody, the HI activity observed could thus be ascribed to the effect of non-specific inhibitors. The HI activity in maternal sera was significantly (P < 0·001) higher than that in cord sera. The 20 pairs of sera were similarly tested against a bunyavirus, an alphavirus and a flavivirus, both with and without kaolin pretreatment. The results showed non-specific inhibitors were found to higher titre in maternal sera, with the difference being statistically significant (P < 0·001) for each of the three viruses.

In the present paper an attempt has been made to devise a method of determining mortality rates at ages from causes of death associated with childbearing. The sources of possible fallacy in this procedure have been discussed, and it is probable that the results found will represent fairly accurately the true course of mortality in this country.

From all causes of death in childbearing, mortality follows this course: beginning with a high value in the age group 15–20, the rate drops to a minimum in the second quinquennium of reproductive life and thereafter gradually increases with age.

The main components of the death rate exhibit a similar age distribution, but other less important causes of death show an uninterrupted increase with age from the commencement of the reproductive period.

Eclampsia is much more common in young women, but this may be entirely due to the greater proportion of primiparae at these young ages. Estimated in terms of first births the death rate increases rapidly and steadily with age, subject to a small exception in the first quinquennium which may possibly be a consequence of unfavourable marital selection at that age.

The high puerperal mortality of young mothers cannot wholly be accounted for by the excessive dangers of primiparity. Evidence has, however, been submitted that these young women are, on the average, a less healthy sample of the total female population at that age and that, apart from primiparity and adverse selection, the death rate from childbed causes probably follows the same law of mortality as of women in general from all other causes of death.

There has been within recent years a decline of nearly 50 per cent, in the puerperal mortality in young mothers of 15–20 and a smaller decrease in the second quinquennium of reproductive life; but there is no evidence of any improvement at later ages. These phenomena have been brought into relation with the change which has taken place in the death rate from all other causes in married women at these ages. The youngest group of married women, relative to unmarried of the same age, were in the more recent period studied in a much more favourable position with regard to their mortality from causes other than those connected with childbearing than they had been formerly. No corresponding improvement has taken place in the relative mortalities from all other causes in older women within the childbearing ages.

These results suggest that the general health of the mother is a factor of great importance in determining the height of the mortality rate in pregnancy.

An outbreak of food poisoning which occurred at Brighton in November, 1917, showed several features of unusual interest which makes its publication of value. While the epidemiological inquires and pathological investigations were carried out separately a coherent narrative is best obtained by combined presentation. The pathological investigations were carried out for, and at the request of, the Local Government Board.

The outbreak occurred in the Royal Sussex County Hospital which at the time contained 369 residents, 227 being patients and 142 staff. Twenty-eight persons suffered from food poisoning, 24 of whom were patients and 4 members of the staff. Two deaths occurred but both were patients already suffering from severe diseases.

The presence of antibodies in the body fluids of the offspring of immunised parents has long been studied and variously explained. In 1912, Famulener2 published a clear summary of the work upon the subject up to that date. Renewed interest in the problem has been aroused by the work of the Department of Animal Pathology of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, where the transmission of immunity to the Bacillus abortus is being studied. It has been shown by Little and Orcutt3 that agglutinins for this bacillus are transferred exclusively by the colostrum, since a calf from which colostrum is withheld does not show this agglutinin in its serum, although a high titre of agglutinin may be demonstrable in both serum and colostrum of the dam. Later Orcutt and Howe4, using a method of separating the protein fractions of serum devised by the latter5, 6, showed that the appearance of agglutinins in the serum of a calf fed with colostrum of high agglutinin titre was closely related to the appearance of euglobulin, which is absent from the blood of the newly born calf. Further, Smith and Little7 showed that this absorption of agglutinin from the digestive tract also occurred when the calf was fed with serum rich in that antibody. The association of agglutinin with the globulin fraction of serum, and in particular with the euglobulin fraction, has been demonstrated by Orcutt and Howe4, who found that “the agglutinins are associated with the protein fractions which are precipitated up to and including 16·4 per cent. of sodium sulphate,” and that “a large proportion of the agglutinins is associated with the fraction which is precipitated by 14·2 per cent. of sodium sulphate, euglobulin.” Again, although a milk might show a high titre of agglutinin, with no corresponding increase in the proportion of its globulin, yet the agglutinin was removed from the milk by a concentration of sodium sulphate which removed the globulin fraction of the protein.

In November 1973 Newcastle disease suddenly appeared in Northern Ireland, where the viscerotropic disease had not been seen in 3½ years and the two Irelands had been regarded as largely disease free for 30 years. It was successfully controlled with only 36 confirmed affected layer flocks, plus 10 more slaughtered as ‘dangerous contacts’. Contemporary investigations failed to reveal the source of the Irish epidemic. Using archival virus samples from most of the affected flocks, RT–PCR was conducted with primers selected for all six NDV genes. Phylogenetic analyses of three genes, HN, M and F, confirmed vaccine as the cause of one of the outbreaks. The other six samples were identical and closely related to previous outbreaks in the United States and western Europe initiated by infected imported Latin American parrots. The probable cause of the epidemic followed from the importation from The Netherlands of bulk feed grains contaminated with infected pigeon faeces.

IN view of a previous failure1 to produce a skin infection with Ankylostoma, it seems worth while to put on record the present successful case. Dr J. B. Leathes very kindly offered himself as the subject of experiment. It is important to note that he has never, either before or during the course of the experiment, had anything to do with any Ankylosotoma material except that deliberately applied to his person for the purpose of this experiment, nor has he been to any infected place or even worked in the part of the Institute where the cultures of Ankylosotoma larvae have been kept. On March 21st a small quantity of water containing encapsuled larvae of A. duodenale, hatched artificially from infected faeces from Cornwall, and 13 days old, was applied to the forearm. After five minutes the arm was bandaged up and left for two hours, at the end of which time the wrappings were removed and the arm throughly cleansed. The purpose of the experiment and the precautions necessary were fully appreciated by the subject, and there is no doubt that there was not the slightest possibility of a mouth infection.

By careful investigation of the somatic antigens of the true cholera vibrios —the strains containing O factor I according to Gardner's grouping (1935)— it was found, as did Scholtens (1933), that the cholera vibrios may be divided into two serological groups: one containing the antigenic factor A and the other the antigenic factors AB.

This finding may be of importance in epidemiological investigations and in the preparation of vaccines.

Investigations carried out to ascertain the ability of various strains of Bordetella pertussis and B. parapertussis to produce agglutinins have shown that the agglutinin response is considerably greater with B. parapertussis.

Children inoculated with a combined vaccine in which the parapertussis element contained B. parapertussis in only one-twelfth of the concentration of B. pertussis in the pertussis element showed agglutinins in their sera in titres well above 1:300 for both organisms. There were no cross-reactions and the serological responses were specific throughout. The vaccine used was the standard diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) prophylactic to which had been added a vaccine prepared from recently isolated strains of B. parapertussis.

Agglutinin titres of both whooping cough components with the combined vaccine were somewhat lower in mice than was the case when monovalent vaccines were used, but they were considered to be satisfactory.

It is suggested that the agglutination production test in mice could be used for the assessment of protective power of B. parapertussis vaccines against infection.

I wish to thank Dr Ikić, director of the Institute of Immunology, Zagreb, who enabled me to perform all these examinations, further to Dr B. Mravunac and Dr Z. Radanov for having carried out vaccination in children and for the clinical examination of post vaccination reactions.

The experiments now described were carried out in Lagos and Khartoum, and although the hoped-for end-result, the production of a sheep strain of neurovaccinia, was not realized, certain points of interest have arisen and are recorded in the hope that they may be of help to other workers concerned with vaccinia vaccine production.

Compared with 20, or even 10, years ago our present knowledge of food poisoning outbreaks is extensive and in certain directions fairly complete. In spite of this greatly extended knowledge there are some aspects in regard to which we are yet lacking in fundamental information. This is particularly the case as to the precise sources of infection. It may be accepted as a demonstrated fact that most outbreaks of food poisoning are due to infection of the food eaten with one or other member of the Gaertner group of bacilli. The present paper is only concerned with the outbreaks associated with this group of organisms. A study of the individual outbreaks usually supplies evidence which definitely incriminates a certain article of food, and for most of the recent outbreaks further evidence is forthcoming that this has been infected with one or other member of the Gaertner group of bacilli. Tracing the matter a step further back it is only in a quite small minority of outbreaks that the recorded facts show how the food has become so infected. In a proportion of cases, perhaps more than half for continental recorded outbreaks but in only a small fraction of the British outbreaks, it is true that definite evidence is forthcoming showing that the meat was derived from an animal itself suffering from general or local disease caused by Gaertner group bacilli. Even, however, for these cases our recorded knowledge ceases with this information, and we do not know how these animals became infected or whether they represent isolated cases or are part of widespread epidemics amongst the animals affected.