PREVENTIVE MEDICINE 223 



filled with the disinfectant. The disinfectant should be left for 

 a day and then be washed out and the place dried. 



DISINFECTION FOLLOWING ANTHRAX. Of all the diseases with 

 which the veterinary practitioner has to deal, anthrax is the one 

 that causes him the most .thought and worry when he has to 

 consider what steps he should take to prevent other cases from 

 occurring. 



Not only has he to remember that disinfection carelessly done 

 may mean a reappearance of the disease and possible loss of human 

 life, but he has always to keep in mind that the carrying out of the 

 disinfection itself is not free from danger to those engaged in it. 

 A farm labourer engaged in the removal of soiled bedding or 

 unfastening the halter from the head of a cow that has died of 

 anthrax may readily get some of the anthrax blood on his hands or 

 clothes. The slightest abrasion of the skin affords an entrance to 

 the bacilli ; an itchy pimple on the neck scratched by the fingers that 

 have come in contact with the infective blood has on more than 

 one occasion been the cause of anthrax in man. It is therefore 

 of the very greatest importance that every possible precaution be 

 taken to prevent persons from touching any part of the carcase or 

 anything that might be infective. 



The way in which an anthrax carcase should be disposed of is 

 explained under the headings dealing with Anthrax and Disposal 

 of Carcases ; here we are only concerned with the disinfection of 

 the premises and utensils. For this purpose the case of a cow 

 that has been found dead in a double stall in a byre of the ordinary 

 commercial type may serve as an example. 



It sometimes happens that for a brief period preceding death, 

 and for some time after, the afflicted animal will discharge quite 

 an appreciable quantity of blood from the nose and anus. The blood 

 from the nose may contaminate the food-trough and perhaps the 

 trough of the companion cow, and even be smeared on to the skin 

 of the adjacent animal, which must therefore be treated as a suspect 

 and be strictly isolated. 



The natural and proper course is to remove her as soon as pos- 

 sible, and the practitioner will usually find that this has been done 

 by the farmer. The entire double stall and the part of the dung 

 channel below the stall must be considered as contaminated. The 

 double stalls on each side of the infected one must be treated as 

 in contact, and if possible be vacated of their animals and 

 disinfected. It is tolerably certain that if the dead animal has been 

 lying for any length of time in the stall that some infective blood- 

 containing faeces will be found in the dung channel. As there is 



