ON FEVERS AMONGST IIOESES, CATTLE, ETC. 247 



affected animals, it was considered lilcely tliat sucli was the 

 wcause. Besides this, when the said haderidcc were dried and 

 afterwards introduced to the blood of a healthy animal, anthrax 

 was produced, but this only proved that the operation was 

 analogous to application of the scab from the wound of the 

 diseased to another on a healthy animal, a veritable inoculation 

 with the direct poison, haderidcc being present in the blood and 

 diseased products of the higher animals when affected with 

 anthrax, to all intents and purposes being likewise products and 

 not the cause of disease. 



Further observation has also established the fact, that anthrax 

 will appear late in the season when cold nights come on and 

 frosts appear. Just as a warm, close, and damp atmosphere 

 interferes with the functions of the skin, producing an indisposi- 

 tion to take ordinary exercise, and thus limiting the course of 

 elimination from the body of various hurtful ingredients, so will 

 the action of cold be attended with equal injury, provided there 

 be present the all-essential plethora and vigour of constitution 

 already alluded to. Sudden changes of temperature are powerful 

 agencies in the production of disease of many kinds, the forms 

 of which vary in accordance with the state of the system at the 

 time, together with surrounding conditions, but in no instance is 

 it so remarkable as in anthrax diseases, where opposite con- 

 ditions appear to possess such wonderful powers in producing 

 results positively identical. Thus among the Highland sheep, 

 when confined to the fold, a cold, frosty, moonlight night 

 occasions the death of hundreds from braxy ; hot scorching days 

 •on the fen lands develop splenic apoplexy and malignant 

 pustule, and the warm, foggy days and nights of early summer, 

 as well as the cold nights of autumn succeeding hot sunny days, 

 caierihis paribus will give rise to black-quarter among our young 

 stock, 



^uisons. — Anthrax affections are greatly influenced by the 

 seasons. Temperature alone is inoperative without the fulfil- 

 ment of other conditions ; hence we find the spring and autumn 

 months are highly favourable periods, from the \isual changes 

 that are made in the diet at those times, and when at the same 

 Juncture heat or cold and moisture, or sudden frosts, interfere 

 with the systemic functions. 



Then the abundance or scarcity of food as brought about by 

 the character of seasons, and involving sudden changes from 

 natural to artificial foods, and vice versa, alike determine the 

 production of autlirax in some of its forms ; and great mischief 

 often prevails in the early winter months from the excessive use 

 of turnips and different meals, whereby it is sought to hasten 

 the condition of sheep for the butcher, while similar treatment to 

 ewes in the spring, and lambs when they first resort to feeding 



