ON FEVERS AMONGST HORSES, CATTLE, ETC. 253 



of animals, &c., &c. Such is the evidence obtained by close 

 observation in this country, and daily increasing testimony of 

 those well calculated to pronounce on the matter fully contirms 

 the souodness of the conclusion. 



There is, however, one source of great danger in some of the 

 forms of anthrax occurring during excessively hot weather, being 

 conveyed to other animals as well as buman beings by direct 

 inoculation. At such times, more particularly, the disease be- 

 comes highly contagious, and many serious results have already 

 decided this part of the subject. The following examples are 

 cited as evidences of the communicability of the anthrax 

 poison : — 



Margraff gives details in the Wochenschrift fur Thierhdlkunde 

 und Viehzucht, 1859, an abstract of which is given in the 

 " Edinburgh Veterinary Eeview" for 1859-60, p. 412. He says 

 — " In the beginning of October 1857, an ox was taken ill, and 

 the owner wishing to act as his own veterinary surgeon, thought 

 he would avail of the animal's good condition and slaughter it. 

 A butcher in the village dressed it, and, as usual, placed the 

 knife repeatedly in his mouth. The man was seized with swollen 

 lips, gums, and tongue, and the swelling extended so rapidly 

 that it was almost impossible for him to swallow. A boy in 

 attendance, when the animal was slaughtered, got some blood 

 splashed on his cheek, which became the seat of a remarkable 

 swelling. 



" Two days afterwards, the same person had a cow taken ill, 

 manifesting the same symptoms as the ox, only in a more severe 

 form. The proprietor, as usual about the district, thought the 

 cow had ' the blood,' which signifies a discharge of blood into 

 the intestines, and he forced his arm up the rectum, removed 

 fceces, and would have removed the blood had he found any in. 

 The disease advanced rapidly, and the cow died. The proprietor, 

 who had made the exploration, was seized with violent stabbing 

 pain in the arm; small pustules formed, and the whole formed 

 into a malignant ulcer. He began to vomit, could not stand, 

 lost his appetite, and had severe fever. The swelling of the arm 

 extended to the shoulder, neck, and chest. He was vigorously 

 treated by the same doctor who attended the butcher, and 

 recovered." 



In an article which appeared in the " The Scottish Farmer," 

 and reproduced at p. 371, Vol. VI., "Edinburgh Veterinary 

 Review,' the effects of inoculation are thus set forth : — " In one 

 case, a number of young cattle, recently put to grass and rapidly 

 thriving, were bled in succession because one of tlieir number 

 had been attacked by black-quarter. Unfortunately the operator, 

 ignorant of any reason to dread the result, bled the sick animal 

 first, and immediately proceeded with the others. The conse- 



