806 MICROBIOLOGY OF DISEASES OF MAN AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS 



The animals first receive the two vaccines of Pasteur, then more viru- 

 lent cultures in gradually increasing doses. A serum is then obtained 

 which in a dose of 2 c.c. or less protects a rabbit against a lethal dose 

 of the anthrax organism. 



Animals dead of anthrax should never be opened or skinned. If 

 doubt exists as to the nature of the disease, an ear may be cut off and 

 sent to a laboratory for examination. Anthrax-infected carcasses 

 may be either burned or buried at a depth of 1.8 m. (6 feet), and covered 

 with quick-lime, and as an extra precaution the burial ground may 

 be fenced off. The prime necessity is to prevent the formation of 

 spores, as it has been shown experimentally that they remain in this 

 condition for eighteen years and produce the disease when inoculated. 

 Soiled litter, forage and the excretions of animals dead of the disease 

 should be collected and burned. 



The stalls, stables, implements and anything that has been in con- 

 tact with the diseased animals should be disinfected by burning, boiling 

 or the use of some disinfectant like 5 per cent carbolic acid. 



BACILLARY WHITE DIARRHCEA OF YOUNG CHICKS* 



Bacterium pullorum 



The epidemic type of diarrhoea which is characterized in part by a 

 whitish diarrhceal discharge, and which is now known as "bacillary 

 white diarrhoea," is caused by a bacterium which belongs to the colon- 

 typhoid group of organisms. It may be cultivated easily on the ordi- 

 nary laboratory media, but its growth on slant agar containing \yitte's 

 peptone is delicate and bears a striking resemblance to that of Strepto- 

 coccus pyogenes . This finely beaded growth is an important aid in 

 the identification of the bacterium. 



The specific organism, Bad. pullorum, is present in the liver, lungs, 

 kidneys, spleen, heart and unabsorbed yolk of affected chicks, being 

 most easily obtained from the liver and yolk, when the latter is present. 

 Some of the most common post-mortem appearances of the organs are 

 those of the liver and intestine, the former showing pale and congested 

 areas, while the intestine is colorless and to a large extent void of 

 contents. 



The disease seldom manifests itself in chicks after they have attained 

 the age of four or five weeks. The greatest mortality usually occurs 



* Prepared by L. F. Rettger. 



