THE LUXG PLAGUE. 57 



tion, sloughing of the tail, and secondary deposits in the lymphatic glands and other parts 

 of the organs, have frequently resulted from this rude practice. 



Dr. Willems first described his mode of inoculation as follows: &quot;I take the liquid 

 pressed from an animal recently slaughtered, or of one that has died of the disease ; I 

 plunge into it a kind of large lancet ; then I make two or three punctures at the lower 

 extremity of the tail of the animal that I wish to preserve from the disease ; a single drop 

 of the liquid is sufficient to make the inoculation.&quot; 



At one time Dr. Willems adopted the plan of making two punctures, one on the upper 

 part and the other on the lower surface of the tip of the tail, and both about the same dis 

 tance from the extreme end of the organ. He found that this frequently led to a fusion 

 of the exudation commencing around each puncture, and the result was the sloughing of 

 the tail. He therefore resorted to the punctures disposed vertically in a line with the tail, 

 and about three inches from each other. By this means the exudations commencing at 

 the two spots had no tendency to coalesce and lead to untoward results. 



Various instruments have been suggested for the operation. Dr. Sticker devised a 

 hollow stylet, with a sharp, diamond-shaped point. The stylet is armed with a little 

 india-rubber tube, and this passed into a wooden handle, with a spring, whereby the flex 

 ible tube may be squeezed for the expulsion of air, and by placing the point of the instru 

 ment in the prepared liquid, sufficient is sucked in for an inoculation. I have used this 

 -instrument as follows : 



The end of the tail being firmly held in the left hand, the point of the instrument is 

 plunged with the right hand superficially into the skin of the tip of the tail, and directed 

 from before backwards, so that any effort to withdraw the tail would only hasten the op 

 eration. I can testify from practice to the simplicity and efficacy of Dr. Sticker s instru 

 ment as used by me. I have preferred this plan of operating to Dr. Sticker s method, 

 which consists in charging his instrument, holding the tail firmly, and then pushing the 

 stylet about one inch forward into the tail, and by a simultaneous pressure upon the key, 

 and a slight winding motion, the virus is deposited beneath the skin and in the sub 

 stance of the organ. Dr. Sticker proposed making a channel with the instrument a 

 channel downward, from which exudation might flow ; but this is of no avail if septic 

 matter is used, and untoward symptoms result. The result of Dr. Sticker s operation, 

 according to his description, is a local swelling occurring about the eighth or ninth day, 

 and which increases the tail from three to four lines in diameter, and extends over a length 

 of one and a half to two inches ; incisions have not been necessary after the operation, and 

 the tails have not mortified. The inoculated cattle do not lose their appetites, and the 

 flow of milk is not diminished. Dr. Sticker considers it important that the virus should 

 be deposited in the connective tissue beneath the skin and not deep in the muscles of 

 the tail. 



With the tubes proposed to preserve the liquid a very simple plan consists in using 

 a small bistoury or lancet, scarifying the upper surface of the tail an inch or so from the 

 end, and from this part the hair may be clipped with a pair of scissors ; the scarification 

 must be superficial, and blood should not be drawn if possible ; the tube is taken and both 

 ends broken off; a little rubber ball or tube is fixed onto one end, and, by pressing this, a 

 few drops of the liquid are dropped in the scarification. This is the safest method, as there is 

 no doubt of the virus being applied to an absorbent surface, and the method of collection 

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