ACUTE INFECTIOUS DISEASES. 85 



digestive system; the germs entering the blood 

 and lymph streams from this source. Death ensues 

 in from several hours to two days. The imme- 

 diate cause of death is suffocation. The history 

 of the disease in a, given attack or locality is help- 

 ful in making a diagnosis, since where previous 

 outbreaks have occurred, one will be constantly 

 on the lookout. However, in any serious epizootic 

 among sheep, a clinical diagnosis confirmed by a 

 bacteriological examination is the only safe one. 

 Treatment: First, accurate diagnosis; second, 

 rigid quarantine ; third, slaughter of diseased ani- 

 mals and burning the carcasses; fourth, immuni- 

 zation and a change of range. The very best 

 thing one can do in case of the appearance of this 

 disease is to notify the nearest Federal or state 

 live stock sanitary official by wire. Veterinarians 

 must disabuse themselves of the belief that it is a 

 reflection upon their professional ability and skill 

 to call upon state or Federal officials in outbreaks 

 of disease that are suspected of being highly con- 

 tagious and susceptible of control only by con- 

 certed public action. It demonstrates a better 

 ability to take this precaution a hundred times 

 where later developments reveal it unnecessary 

 than to fail to take it one time and thus permit 

 the unnecessary infection of wide areas and as a 

 consequence great loss perhaps for years to come. 



2. Malignant Edema. 



Edema malignum; septicemia gangraenosa. 

 Cause: The anaerobic "Bacillus edematis ma- 

 ligni." 



