100 Agricultural Bacteriology. 



enlarged spleen (milt) which is often several times its 

 normal size, and much darker in color than normally. It 

 is soft and friable. The blood is not bright red, but is 

 of a dark, tarry appearance, and does not coagulate as 

 does normal blood. Shortly before death, a dark bloody 

 exudate may be noted coming from the natural openings 

 of the body, nose, mouth, and anus. The urine may also 

 be dark in color. The intestines may be affected, in 

 which case the contents are bloody. The carcass begins 

 to putrefy very soon and the stiffness of the body noted 

 after death from other causes is absent. 



Differential diagnosis. It is very important to dif- 

 ferentiate this disease from others, such as black leg and 

 hemorrhagic septicaemia, which are often mistaken for 

 anthrax. The precautions that must be taken to prevent 

 further spread in the herd differ from those to be em- 

 ployed with these diseases. On account of the sudden- 

 ness of the death of the first animals affected, the farmer 

 is likely to think they were poisoned or were killed by 

 lightning. The changes peculiar to the disease may be 

 absent, in which case a bacteriological examination is 

 necessary in order to establish the nature of the disease. 



General precautions. The bacteria found in immense 

 numbers in the blood, form spores as soon as the blood is 

 allowed to escape from the body, as happens in making a 

 post-mortem examination. If the body is unopened 

 spores can not form. As previously noted there is often 

 a discharge from the natural openings of the body. This 

 will contain the organisms. The spot where the animal 

 dies is thus certain to be infected. The spores will re- 

 main in the soil of pastures and fields for years, and such 

 a contaminated pasture can not be used with safety. 



In order to prevent the general spread of the disease, 



