BUREAU 0¥ ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 113 



inspectors in the field during the last three or four months of the 

 fiscal year. This was somewhat unfortunate, as the testing of stal- 

 lions and mares is accomplished to the best advantage prior to the 

 breeding season and the inspection of such animals during the round- 

 up period insures the greatest degree of cooperation between the 

 bureau inspectors and horse breeders. 



This disease has been found to be much more widely distributed 

 among horses in some States than was at first believed. Notwith- 

 standing this increased area of infection and the lack of funds for 

 use during the latter part of the year, good results have been accom- 

 plished in" the work of eradicating the disease in Montana, Wyoming, 

 North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Arizona. There has 

 been a satisfactory cooperation with the bureau on the part of the 

 various State officials and horsemen concerned, and as funds have 

 been available the bureau has continued the practice of paying one- 

 half of the appraised valuation of infected horses destroyed, such 

 share not exceeding $100 in any one case. 



The number of animals tested and the results of the tests are 

 reported under the heading of the Pathological Division. The per- 

 centage of reactions is 3.1, as compared with 2.7 for the previous fiscal 

 year. This increase is due to the spread of the disease among the 

 horse stock of the Indian reservations and to the lack of available 

 funds to prosecute the work vigorously, especially at the beginning 

 of and throughout the round-up season in the spring and early sum- 

 mer ; also to the fact that the work of eradication extended to certain 

 infected areas in which it has not previously been conducted. 



PATHOLOGICAL DIVISION. 



Adolph Eichhoen, Chief. 



ANTHRAX INVESTIGATIONS. 



Further experiments have confirmed the efficacy of the combined 

 serum and spore vaccine treatment of anthrax. Some of this work 

 has been reported in Department Bulletin 340, " Experiments in Vac- 

 cination against Anthrax," by Adolph Eichhorn. Later research 

 work has been directed toward improving the process and gaining 

 more exact knowledge. 



During the year approximately 7,500 doses of anthrax serum and 

 spore vaccine for the simultaneous method of immunization against 

 anthrax have been prepared by this division and used in the control 

 of outbreaks in various parts of the United States. Reports on the 

 use of these products fully establish the value of this method of 

 immunization. A considerable quantity of the serum was supplied 

 for the treatment of anthrax in man and animals, and proved a valu- 

 able remedy. Manufacturers of biological products are now prepar- 

 ing to market anthrax serum and spore vaccine, and in a short time 

 the simultaneous method of immunization against anthrax will, no 

 doubt, be generally available. 



Bacteriological examinations of tannery refuse and of sewage for 

 the presence of anthrax organisms have been made, and positive 

 results were obtained in several instances. A bacteriological exami- 



