352 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



Steele adds : " Pigs, dogs aud poultry should not be allowed to feed 

 on blood, flesb, and ejecta of anthrax victims." Cruickshank, by- 

 experiment, produced anthrax in swine by feeding them with anthrax 

 offal, and the anthrax bacillus was isolated from swine in which the 

 disease was accidentally induced on a farm, and the disease reproduced 

 by inoculation of guinea-pigs and mice with blood from the spleen. 



Pkecautioxs to bl' Observed. 



In dealing with the products of infected herds, the Board of 

 Health has recommended that the milk should not be used until after 

 thorough boiling (then only on the farm) for a period of 14 days 

 after the last case has succumbed or recovered ; or for a period of 

 10 days after the cows have been isolated in a clean, disconnected 

 enclosure from all infected animals or suspects ; or for a period of 

 10 days after disinfection of all houses, floors, bedding, yards, 

 paddocks, foodstuffs, utensils, clothiug, or other material with which 

 any infected animal may have been in contact. 



Difference Between Anthkax and Some Othek Diseases. 



Poisoning. — Owing to the rapidity with which very many of the 

 poisons cause death, it is quite possible for their action to be mis- 

 taken for anthrax ; but with this latter it is rarely that the animal 

 shows any sign of a struggle prior to death ; while, with the former, 

 there are very often manifestations of such being the case, and the 

 exudation from the mouth and nostrils in the case of poisoning is but 

 rarely tinted with blood, whereas, as previously mentioned with 

 anthrax it is blood-tinted, and the rectum shows rupture. In cases 

 of gastro-intestinal inflammation, in which paralysis has first occurred, 

 death may occur without evidence of any struggle ; but the non- 

 coagulation of the blood as mentioned previously, is sufficiently 

 diagnostic of anthrax. This remark applies also to the differential 

 diagnosis of quarter evil or blackleg. 



Treatment and Prevention. 



We may safely assume that treatment is hopeless, as in the form 

 prevalent in Australia, animals are stricken down so suddenly that 

 owners have no evidence of the animals being sick until they are 

 dead. In Europe, Touissant was the first to make use of protective 

 inoculation. Since then Pasteur, in different countries and in 

 Australia, also Messrs. McGarvie, Smith and Gunn, of Sydney, have 

 vaccinated large numbers of sheep and cattle in New South Wales 

 and this State with success. Therefore, vaccination appears to be the 

 only method which stock owners have at their disposal to combat this 

 scourge, and it would be to the interests of owners to adopt this 

 course, and safeguard this great source of national revenue. 



Conclusion. 



I feel I have trespassed on your patience sufficieutly long, but 

 before concluding I wish to direct your attention to the magnificent 



