Xll PRESIDKNTIAI. ADDRESS. 



came to the conclusion that the soves were true malignant pustules, 

 undouhtedly caused by the Anthrax bacilli gaining access to the 

 sub-cutaneous tissues through the cuts produced by the coarse 

 grass. Although several of the pustules were excised and others 

 treated with strong antiseptics, it was too late to save the 

 patient's life, for the Anthrax bacilli had got into his general 

 circulation, and his death resulted in a few hours from splenic 

 fever. In England and on the Continent, when bacteriology was 

 in its infancy, and microscopical science was scarcely considered 

 necessary in veterinary schools, it was by no means an unconnnon 

 occurrence to hear of a veterinary surgeon being attacked with 

 Anthrax, which in some instances proved fatal. Happily these 

 days are past, for now in every veterinary teaching institution in 

 England, Continental coiintries, and America, the science of 

 Bacteriology is recognised in the highest possible degree ; conse- 

 quently students of the present day are in a position to accpiire 

 an all-round knowledge of practical bacteriology, even proljulily 

 more so than medical students, which is accounted for l)y the 

 fact that so many of the diseases peculiar to the lower animals 

 have been proved to be entirely due to microbic origin. 



We all know that early recognition and prompt action are 

 essential to prevent the spread of any connnunicable diseases. 

 By means of Koch's discovery we are able to give a definite 

 opinion in less than three minutes whether an animal has died 

 of Anthrax or not. l^nfortunately, in the case of Anthrax, only 

 too often the first indication of the existence of the disease is the 

 siidden death of an apparently healthy animal. Nevertheless, 

 the importance of being able to recognize the bacillus in the first 

 animal that dies cannot be ovei'estimated, and this is \\hen' the 

 microscope scores, for it proves at once that it is (juite unneces- 

 sary to perform the dangerous task of making an elaborate post- 

 mortem examination in order to satisfy oneself that the disease 

 is really Anthrax. All bacteriologists are deeply indebtc'd to 

 Robert Koch as the first to point out in the year 1H70 that the 

 Anthrax bacillus, as seen in the blood of infected animals was 

 morphologically dili'erent from any other known ])acillns ; and 

 although twenty yeai-s have elapsed, during which j^'iiod a con- 

 'siderable mmiber of new (pathogenic and non-pathogenic) 



