TheiMenack of Anthrax. G73 



for strong" action in removing the danger from our midst must 

 appeal to all, and we earnestly hope that, with this end in view, the 

 few simple measures given hereunder will be carried out scrupulously 

 and honestly : — 



1. On no account should the carcasses of animals found dead, or 

 dying suddenly witliout oaowing any previous illness, be opened or 

 skinned. Many such deaths are undoubtedly due to anthrax, and the 

 risks run by any one handling such carcasses, either for the purpose 

 of making post-mortems, removing the meat, or taking off the skins, 

 are very great. Human beings are readily infected and the illness 

 which ensues is rapid i-snd frequently fatal, and the contamination of 

 the veld, which follows the opening of an anthrax carcass, tends to 

 perpetuate infection and almost inevitably leads to further losses of 

 stock. 



2. All carcasses of suspected animals — and all animals dying 

 suddenly should be regarded as suspects — must be buried intact after 

 taking a blood smear. This is done by cutting into one of the 

 superficial veins of the ear which only permits the escape of a drop 

 or two of blood, care being taken after the operation is completed to 

 disinfect the knife used for this purpose by placing it in a 10 per cent, 

 solution of Jeyes' fluid or other disinfectant, or by boiling it in water 

 for ten minutes. The animal should be buried at a depth of not less 

 than six feet, preferably in quicklime, as near the place where it died 

 as possible, but away from any spot where it might contaminate water 

 supply. After burial, if the report received of the result of the 

 examination of the blood smear shows that the disease has been 

 anthrax, the grave should be bushed over or enclosed in a rough fence 

 to prevent animals from grazing over it. In handling carcasses great 

 care should be taken not to allow any discharge from it to get on the 

 clothes or person of any one touching it, and the ground where the 

 animal has lain should be soaked in a 10 per cent, solution of Jeyes' 

 fluid, and any discharges should be scraped up and thrown into tiie 

 grave in which the animal is buried, while the hands should be 

 thoroughly washed with disinfectant. 



3. The Veterinary Division will be greatly aided in its efforts to 

 control this disease if all suspicious deaths are reported at the nearest 

 police post and blood smears are taken by owners. The division will 

 then advise owners as to the precautions to be taken to reduce the risk 

 of further loss and to check the spread of infection. 



Blood smears should be made preferably on special glass slides 

 (generally obtainable from the nearest police post), otherwise on any 

 small slip of glass, which should first be thoroughly cleansed with hot 

 water and wiped dry with a clean cloth. Blood for the smears should 

 be obtained by incising one of the small superficial veins on the outer 

 surface of the ear which will allow the escape of a drop or two of 

 blood; of this a small quantity should be placed on the slide, either 

 with a piece of clean dry glass or with the point of the knife, then the 

 edge of a second slide or the edge of the knife should be placed at an 

 acute angle on the slide on which the blood has been put, and the edge 

 of the slide or knife gently drawn across the slide so as to .spread the 

 blood into the thinnest possible film. The blood smear should then 

 be dried by waving it in the air, and each smear should be wrapped 

 in a separate piece of paper and packed for posting, together with a 



