BEPORT OF THE BUREAU OP ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 455 



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nia, with large patches of consolidation throughout both lungs, and studded with 

 masses of tubercles. The other organs of the animal were healthy. 



6. Autopsy at Gonzales. In pasture of Lux & Miller, about 1 mile from town, a 

 fine cow died in the night. The day before it was well and showed no signs of dis- 

 ease. It was opened next morning at 8 o'clock, and on section I was struck with 

 the dark color of the blood, which was black and tarry, and did not coagulate. I 

 noticed that the mucous membrane of the eyes and mouth had a deep blue or pur- 

 ple color, and that those of the rectum and vagina were considerably everted and 

 studded with ecchymosed patches and with slight hemorrhages from both openings. 

 The spleen in this instance was'also different from the others. On cutting the cap- 

 sule the pulp was found to be Dp-ore disintegrated and seemed to flow put of its own 

 accord, and it was so rotten that a specimen could not be transferred into alcohol. 

 The liver was enlarged, and on section there was an escape of black blood. It 

 had an appearance of being boiled. The streaky appearance was of a bright yel- 

 low nature-; enlarged gall-bladder and bile-ducts, as seen in Texas fever, were not 

 present. The rumen was full of food, and the mucous membrane peeled off on 

 pressure. The reticulum had its mucous membrane in similar condition to the 

 ruinen. The contents of the omasum hard, and mucous membrane congested, and 

 part peeled off. The oboniasum.contained a small quantity of food; mucous mem- 

 brane very highly congested and entirely abrased in some parts. ^ Intestines highly 

 congested throughout, and covered with ecchymosed patches; the mesentery and 

 peritoneum covered with ecchymosed spots, and the large veins elevated and full 

 of dark tarry blood. Kidneys very highly congested and friable, and the cortical 

 portion studded with petecchiee; bladder full of sanguineous urine, and mucous 

 membrane congested. Lungs studded with numerous ecchymosed patches, espe- 

 cially on the pleura, and more or less emphysematous. Heart enlarged and serum 

 between its layers, and covered with petecchise. The endocardium was studded 

 with ecchymosed spots which could not be removed by washing. 



On microscopical examination coverglass specimens of blood from the spleen, 

 stained with methyl violet, revealed the Bacillus anthracis in enormous quantities. 

 Taking the post-mortem lesions and microscopical examination into consideration, 

 I came to no other conclusion than that this was a case of splenic apoplexy. 



7. Autopsy at Gonzales. A three-year-old mare died in the morning and the 

 autopsy was performed towards evening. Examination revealed the blood dark 

 and tarry but somewhat coagulable. The stomach was very much congested, es- 

 pecially the pyloric portion. The small intestines were in a great state of conges- 

 tion, as were also the peritoneum and mesenteries, and very easily torn, in fact 

 almost rotten. The large intestines were in a similar condition, and the abdominal 

 cavity throughout was so much congested that it resembled turkey red, showing 

 excessive peritonitis with an excessive amount of a bloody serous exudate. The 

 intestines were agglutinated with a brown-colored serous exudate. The mucous 

 membrane of the alimentary canal was highly congested, and one part of the 

 small intestine was constricted and of a yellow gelatinous appearance, while in 

 one place the wall of the gut was nearly 2 inches thick, being infiltrated between 

 the mucous membrane and external peritoneal coat with brown yellow jelly-like 

 mass, the muscular coat being almost entirely obliterated. The spleen was enlarged 

 and the parenchyma of a dark color, but not disintegrated. The liver was fatty, 

 and on section dark-colored blood oozed out. The kidneys were congested, and the 

 bladder was full of bloody urine. The mucous membrane of the rectum and 

 vagina was everted and covered with ecchymosed patches. The heart was healthy 

 externally, but the endocardium was covered with petecchige. The lungs were 

 healthy, and the pleura presented ecchymosed patches. 



8. Autopsy at Gonzales. The subject of this autopsy was a five-year-old gelding 

 which died the previous night. On opening, appearances were present similar to 

 autopsy No. 7, but this time the constriction was in the large intestine instead of 

 the small, and the mfilration between the coats of the bowels more abundant than 

 in No. 7. The spleen was larger, blacker, and more disintegrated. 



Coverglass specimens from the blood of the spleen of Nos. 7 and 8, stained with 

 methyl violet, showed the presence of a few rods and numerous spores. This, with 

 the fact that the animals were only sick a few hours (No. 8 being in seemingly good 

 health and kicking up his heels early in the afternoon of the day of his death, and 

 No. 7 was brought in from pasture early in the morning affected with shivers and a 

 staggering gait and coldness all over the body, and died in great agony), together 

 with the symptoms of the disease and the post-mortem lesions found, leave no 

 doubt in my mind that the cause of death was of an anthracoid nature, although 

 only a few rods were demonstrated microscopically. 



Respectfully submitted. 



THOS. BOWHILL, M. E. C. V. S. 



SAN FKANCISCO, October 10, 1888. 



