248 GRAZING CATTLE DISEASES 



In addition to visible signs, the extremities, includ- 

 ing the horns, may be cold, and the skin tight and cold to 

 the touch ; the temperature may also rise from the normal 

 state (100 or 102 F.) to 104 or 106 in the more ordinary 

 forms of disease, such as pneumonia and garget, and even 

 I IO may be registered in a case of rinderpest. 



The commoner or more important bovine diseases which 

 reduce grazing profits are the following ; 



Anthrax is a widely distributed infectious febrile disease 

 due to the presence of the Bacillus anthracis in the blood. 

 Cases in one lot of cattle usually occur singly, the disease not 

 being directly communicable by one animal to another, or 

 yet by an anthrax carcase. Animals shut in a small 

 enclosure beside such carcases and kept there till the carcases 

 broke up and the animals gnawed their affected bones, have 

 not contracted the disease. The spores, which develop when 

 affected blood is exposed to the air, become extremely 

 resistent to change of temperature, and even to germicides, 

 and may lie dormant for years until a natural habitat is 

 found in the blood circulation of an animal, and the spore 

 develops into the bacillus which produces the disease. Blood 

 should on no account be permitted to escape, or the ground 

 inoculated will be a source of sporadic infection for years. 

 The carcase should be disposed of according to the Board of 

 Agriculture regulations without the skin being broken either 

 burnt, or buried 6 feet deep in flour of lime in a dry sandy or 

 gravelly sub-soil and the surface of the probably infected 

 part of the field heavily dressed with hot lime. 



The course of the disease is extremely rapid taking only 

 a few hours from the first appearance of illness. Still 

 undoubted cases of recovery have been recorded. The animal 

 becomes greatly depressed and separates from the others 

 the temperature rises to 107 F., diarrhoea develops, rigors 

 and weakness of the hind quarters occur, there is great 

 difficulty in breathing, and blood passes through the anus and 

 at times in the urine. Decomposition after death is rapid. 

 Poisoning from consuming meadow saffron, Colchicum 

 autumnale^ and bracken poisoning, are the only disorders 

 similar in symptoms to anthrax. The most effective pre- 

 ventive remedy against anthrax is inoculating according to 

 the method introduced by Pasteur. 



