144 FARM ANIMALS 



civilized world. In this country the vaccine is 

 prepared by the Bureau of Animal Industry, 

 various state experiment stations and by a num- 

 ber of drug firms. During the past six years the 

 Bureau of Animal Industry has distributed nearly 

 8,000,000 doses of blackleg vaccine for use in the 

 area where this disease prevails most extensively. 

 The amount of loss from blackleg after vaccination 

 has been reduced to less than one per cent. 



Big Jaw, also known as lumpy jaw, wooden 

 tongue and by various other terms, is an infectious 

 disease due to a bacterial organism known as the 

 ray fungus. Big jaw attacks not only cattle, but 

 also horses, sheep, deer, pigs and man. The 

 most common location for the disease is in the 

 bone of the lower jaw which it causes to become 

 spongy and enormously enlarged. The bone 

 tumor thus formed may break through to the out- 

 side and discharge. Big jaw may be treated by 

 cutting away the tumor and by administering 

 iodide of potash. This drug has been found to be 

 a specific for the disease. After giving it daily for 

 one week in doses of eight to twelve grams, then 

 withhold for two or three days, repeat again for 

 another week and the organism which causes the 

 disease is destroyed completely. Big jaw is not 

 readily infectious and on this account much con- 

 troversy has arisen regarding the question whether 

 the meat of such animals is dangerous. In gen- 

 eral it can hardly be considered so and, unless the 

 internal organs are affected it may be passed as 

 wholesome meat. 



Foot and Mouth Disease. This plague of cattle, 

 sheep, goats, and hogs fortunately does not occur 

 at present in the United States. In 1902, however, 

 a serious outbreak occured in New England which 



