112 THE DISEASES OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



In making a diagnosis as to whether a given disease is anthrax 

 or not, it must always be borne in mind that no bacillus anthra- 

 cis, no anthrax ; when, in doubtful cases, you can not decide, in- 

 oculation experiments will always give you the key to a correct 

 diagnosis. 



In 1864, 72,000 horses died in Russia alone from the disease. 

 In the proviuce of Novgorod (Russia), from 1867-'70, over 56,000 

 horses, cattle, and sheep, and 528 men, perished. 



Phenomena of the Disease. 



The disease, in general, presents itself under one of three forms : 



1. The apoplectic form (anthrax acutissimus), the duration of 

 which varies from a few minutes to several hours. 



2. The acute form (anthrax acutus), the duration of which varies 

 from a few hours to some days. 



3. The subacute form (anthrax subacutus), which includes all 

 cases of longer duration. 



Great divergence exists among the various authors as to the 

 duration of the period of incubation in anthrax. In some cases the 

 appearance of the symptoms of the disease seems to follow imme- 

 diately on the introduction of the inficieus. Fever has been ob- 

 served within two hours subsequent to inoculation. Among cattle 

 the incubation may continue for four or five days ; in small animals, 

 rabbits, etc., twenty-four, thirty-six, or forty-eight hours ; seldom 

 three or four days. On account of the variance in form with which 

 the disease appears, it is difficult to give any concise description of 

 its phenomena. 



In the so-called apoplectic form the infected animals frequently 

 drop, almost as if struck by lightning ; they fall into convulsions, 

 dyspnoea, cyanosis, and in a few minutes death results. Frequently, 

 these violent symptoms are wanting in all prodromic phenomena, 

 the animals eating and appearing apparently as well as ever. It is 

 not unfrequent to find animals in the morning dead in the stall 

 which were apparently perfectly healthy the evening before. The 

 acute form of the disease appears about as follows in horses and cat- 

 tle : Animals apparently healthy suddenly develop a loss of appe- 

 tite ; in cows, the milk secretion is restricted, or ceases altogether. 

 The animals begin to tremble, and frequently chills may be seen to 

 be present ; the superficial parts of the body become cold. This 

 cold stage passes into a febrile, after a longer or shorter period. 

 Peculiar contractions and clonic spasms of the extremities are quite 

 frequent. During the remissions the animals appear weak and de- 



