REPORT OF TI-IE BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 453 



Second-hand evidence is in -abundance to prove the presence of 

 anthrax in almost the entire portion of the State south of San J.osd 

 In the fields around Gonzales, and many other sections, the hogs all 

 die from eating the dead cattle, and the horses and sheep take on 

 the contagion. Numerous cases of blood poisoning from contact 

 with dead carcasses have occurred, all being marked with the signs 

 of anthrax. 



The mortality among cattle, horses, and sheep has been, and con- 

 tinues to be, very great throughout the southern counties, reaching 

 well up into the thousands. But my limited time prevents an ascer- 

 tainment of exact figures. 



I send you specimens of the work done in the field from which you 

 can verify our work. The situation here is so serious that it seems 

 to me you would be fully justified in detailing some one for a term 

 of months to ascertain all the facts in regard to the various diseases 

 among the domestic animals of the State, and if possible to locate 

 the line of Texas-fever infection. 

 Very respectfully, 



A. S. MERCER, 

 Inspector Bureau of Animal Industry. 



SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., October 9, 1888. 



AUTOPSIES. 



The report of the autopsies made by Dr. Bowhill is as follows : 



1. Autopsy at Preen' s ranch. A two-year-old heifer was found on hill-side. 

 Took temperature and found it 102g F. About two minutes afterwards, with a few 

 convulsive movements, she died, but there was absence of any difficult breathing. 

 On cutting through the skin to remove the fore limb prior to laying open the left 

 side, the first thing that drew our attention was the escape of a brigjit, brick-red 

 colored blood, which was very thin in consistency, and seemed to coagulate more 

 rapidly than normal blood. The flesh was of a bright red color, and the fat between 

 the muscles, as well as that of the areola tissue, was of a deep brownish-yellow 

 color. On cutting along the linea alba and removing the whole of the left flank as 

 well as the ribs, and exposing the thoracic and abdominal cavities, the first tiling 

 that drew our attention was the enormous size of the spleen, 19| inches long and 

 16 inches in circumference. It was of a dark purple color ; the capsule was not 

 studded with any petecchiae, but on section it was found that the splenic pulp con- 

 sisted of a disintegrated mass and had lost all its consistency, but you could carry 

 it and it would remain intact, except when the capsule was cut. The contents 

 would not, when held by one extremity, fall down to the other like an hour-glass as 

 I have found to be the case in anthrax splenic apoplexy. Coverglass specimens of 

 this organ do not reveal the presence of any bacilli. I next removed the stomach. 

 It was normal as were its attachments, and also the omentum inguinal, excepting 

 its yellow color. On cutting into the rumen we found it healthy and full of food. 

 The reticulum was in a like condition. The omasum was very hard and impacted, 

 much more than is the case in a healthy animal. The abomasum was almost 

 entirely empty, and its mucous membrane, especially the pyloric portion, highly 

 congested and covered with ecchymosed patches. The small intestines were healthy 

 excepting the mucous membrane, which was strewn with bUe. A like condition 

 applied to the large intestines. The liver was enormously enlarged and of a light, 

 brick-red color, inclining to a dark yellow, almost resembling powdered cinnamon. 

 When cut into it was fatty, and light red blood escaped, as well as an excess of bile. 

 The gall-bladder was distended and thickened in its walls; it was full of dark yellow 

 gall and slightly inspissated. The liver substance was also traversed with yellow 

 streaks, due to the engorgement of the bile duct. The kidneys were somewhat 

 enlarged, and on section the cortex was softer than natural, and numerous peteceliiro 

 could be seen throughout its substance. The medullary portion seemed to have 

 undergone parenchymatous degeneration. There was no pus in the pelvis, but the 

 fat was soft and of the same peculiar yellow color above mentioned. 



