80 Seventeenth Annual Report of the 



vent animals not susceptible to the disease from coming in contact 

 with infected areas and thereby infecting new territories. 



We farther insisted that the carcasses of all animals dying of 

 anthrax should be promptly burned, as it is well known that the 

 germ when exposed to the air assumes a spore form, which 

 enables it to live ©n pastures or in the soil, perhaps for years, and 

 eventually to cause new outbreaks, when the disease is supposed 

 to have been eradicated from a territory. Not only is this dan- 

 gerous to the territory already infected, but if any of these ani- 

 mals are buried along water sheds, heavy rains will carry the 

 virus down the slopes into the streams which later may inundate 

 new districts and when subsiding leave the germ there to infect 

 other animals. 



Three thousand five hundred and twenty-one animals, includ- 

 ing horses, cattle and sheep, have been vaccinated as preventive 

 measures. About 100 animals have died from anthrax during 

 the fiscal year. 



BLACK LEG 



The disease known as black leg, or black quarter, has also been 

 very prevalent. Outbreaks have been reported from Cattaraugus, 

 Chautauqua, Clinton, Erie, Oswego, St. Lawrence and Wyoming 

 counties. Two hundred and seventy-four head of calves and young 

 stock have been vaccinated for this disease. Forty-one deaths 

 from black leg have been reported to this office. 



RABIES 



The disease known as rabies has increased during the past 

 year to an alarming extent. Outbreaks have been reported from 

 nearly every county in the state, in consequence of which it has 

 been necessary for this department to establish a greater number 

 of quarantines than during any other fiscal year. Not only has 

 this disease been reported from rural districts, but many of the 

 large cities have been under quarantine. 



The enactment of recent laws making it possible to utilize the 

 police foi"fce of a city lias, when such authorities and their sub- 

 ordinates have been actively interested, greatly increased the 

 efficiency of our 'work. Rabies is one of the most difficult diseases 

 with which we have to deal. Unfortunately, this is due par- 



