Commissioner of Agriculture. 249 



it is called intestinal anthrax, fodder anthrax, spontaneous 

 anthrax, internal anthrax, "anthrax without location," anthrax 

 fever, etc. 



This is one reason why all animals that die of anthrax should 

 be burned or buried in quicklime away from a water source. If 

 it is not done the earth worms bring the spores to the surface, 

 thereby contaminating any grass, hay, potatoes, carrots, tur- 

 nips, or any substance that might grow. If any of these vege- 

 tables should be fed in a raw state, as they usually are, the 

 animals will probably contract the disease. When they are 

 buried near a running stream the spores are liable to be carried 

 for several miles, and in the event of the stream overflowing 

 flat land, it spreads the contagion over a large area. Very 

 frequently streams into which tanneries and wool-washing estab- 

 lishments drain the water is contaminated and cattle die annu- 

 ally along its course. Very frequently men become affected in 

 handling wool from animals that have died of anthrax; in these 

 cases it is known as " wool sorter's disease." Tanners become 

 affected in tanning hides of infected animals. In these cases 

 you have malignant pustules. The spores may enter through 

 an abrasion, the mucous membrane or the various openings. 

 Bollinger and Zeilinger succeeded in producing anthrax in rab- 

 bits by inoculating them with the blood of flies which had been 

 caught on an anthrax cadaver. Anthrax affects most all warm- 

 blooded animals, but more frequently cattle. Their suscepti- 

 bility is according to the order in which they are named, viz.: 

 Cattle, sheep, goats, horses, fallow deer, red deer, camels, guinea- 

 pigs and mice. Cats, tame rabbits, horses and wild rabbits 

 come next. Dogs, pigs and foxes are very slightly susceptible. 

 Rats if kept as a carnivora do not contract the disease, but if the 

 diet is changed to a herbivora they readily contract the disease. 

 Birds, with the exception of ducks, fowls and pigeons, are 

 immune. 



It is claimed by some authors that anthrax is never found only 

 where there is a swamp. In the cases which have been investi- 

 gated by the Department very seldom was there a swamp in the 

 pasture. 



