161 



being known that carbon dioxid precipitates and throws out of 

 action the fibrin-forming element of the blood — fibrinogen." 



AiithniA- on the Island of Kauai. 



From the above description of the symptoms, nature and cause 

 of anthrax it will be seen that the disease is one that cannot 

 readily be carried by live animals for any considerable distance, 

 for the simple reason that when the infection has once gained 

 entrance into the blood the victim dies in the course of a few 

 hours to two to three days. It would therefore be next to im- 

 possible for the disease to reach the Territory by means of live 

 animals, even though carried on the fastest passenger steamers. 

 The question of how the disease reached the Territory and be- 

 came epidemic in practically the most remote district on the 

 Island of Kauai is therefore one that is giving the sanitary au- 

 thorities considerable food for thought. Various theories have 

 been advanced, the principal of which was the possible introduc- 

 tion by means of grass seed imported during recent years from 

 Australia. The plausibility^ of this theory is refuted by the ap- 

 pearance of the disease in pastures, districts and even other 

 islands, where no imported grass seed was ever planted. Another 

 theory, that the infection might have been introduced by the 

 means of imported bone meal, even though such material may 

 actually have been fed in the salt licks on Hanalei ranch, has 

 failed of proof, although numerous guinea pigs, inoculated with 

 a filtrate prepared from the said licks, offered every opportunity 

 for the demonstration of the possible presence of the infection. 



These inoculation experiments were undertaken by the bac- 

 teriologist of the local U. S. Marine Hospital Service, Dr. D. H. 

 Currie, and could hardly have failed in the purpose, had the dis- 

 ease been introduced with said bone meal. Besides, a number of 

 outbreaks have since occurred in districts on the islands where 

 no bone meal was ever used, and the question consequently re- 

 mains an open one to the present day. 



Progress of Disease on Kauai and Measures of Control. 



As already stated, more than sixty animals were known to 

 have died by the time the diagnosis of anthrax was finally estab- 

 lished, that is on April 17. A week before, the manager had 

 called in the Deputy Territorial Veterinarian, Dr. Glaisyer, who 

 had diagnosed the disease as hemorrhagic septicemia, a mistake 

 quite excusable on account of the great similarity of the two 

 diseases, and especially because anthrax was known never to have 

 occurred in the Territory ; nor was its introduction considered 

 likely or even possible. That the microscope should have been 

 used sooner is a charge easily made when based on subsequent 

 developments, but the writer doubts whether he would have made 

 a microscopic examination of the blood much earlier himself, as 



