ON FEVERS AMONGST HORSES, CATTLE, ETC. 255 



treatment, and had the animals slaughtered as soon as possible, 

 and the best parts were sold to his men, who appeared to suffer 

 no harm from the consumption of the meat after being cooked. 



A butcher constantly employed in a large district in dressing 

 the carcases of dead and dying animals, suffered much from 

 swelling of the hand and arm, with fever and sickness, after 

 flaying and cutting up some animals in the last stages of black 

 quarter. It is supposed there were cuts or scratches on the 

 hand or fingers, and these led to the absorption of the poison, 

 from which he was unable to work for weeks. The consumption 

 of the flesh of animals affected with black quarter, and even other 

 forms of anthrax, is not at all uncommon ; and veterinarians can 

 amply testify how largely parts of such animals have in late years 

 found their way to the markets of our cities and towns from the 

 provinces. As long as the blood can be induced to flow there 

 is some chance of the meat having a fair colour, which in later 

 stages and more acute cases is not so Jikely In the common 

 form of disease, which, occurring at parturition, is known as 

 parturient apoplexy, it is the common rule in many districts to 

 slaughter before the unconscious state comes on, if possible, or 

 even after it, and consign the flesh to some dead meat market. 

 The writer has known great numbers of such cases, which may 

 be but a tithe of what actually occurs, and other veterinarians 

 have informed him it is their experience also. 



Such facts open up a grave question concerning the welfare 

 and safety of our population, the importance of which should 

 not be underrated. Without attempting to press the point of 

 the existence of a positive poison within the flesh and juices 

 of animals slaughtered when suffering from anthrax fevers, are 

 we not justified in believing such flesh is not as it ought to 

 be ? And when we know the poorer part of the community are 

 not remarkable for the best modes of cooking and habits of 

 economy, that it is among them that such meat always 

 finds its way, can we feel surprised that low fevers, boils, and 

 carbuncles, &c., are so common ? It may be urged with equal 

 justice and truth, that other causes for these are always present, 

 but it does not mitigate the fact that all such flesh, after the 

 existence of a blood disease like anthrax fever, is far from a 

 healthy standard, and it fails to nourish the human body as it 

 ought. It must be borne in mind the higher animal man needs 

 a more elaborate food than brutes. Many of the lower grade 

 live merely as consumers of refuse, to whom filth and poison is 

 of little moment ; but mankind requires food of the highest 

 quality and perfection, without which he suffers in a variety of 

 ways. 



AVith reference to the consumption of the flesh and blood of 

 animals dying from anthrax, it is well known that pigs rapidly 



