222 ANTHRAX. 



Altliougli to be met with in every season of the year, those 

 dry months following the wet are quoted as ' the horse-sick- 

 ness season.' And great importance is attached to the fact 

 that animals grazing while the dew is on the ground are much 

 more liable to contract the disease than those turned out after 

 the dew has dispersed. 



In connection with the disease in South Africa, another 

 matter is worthy of attention — the immunity enjoyed by 

 ' salted ' or ' gezout ' horses, which are very much sought after 

 by intending purchasers. These animals are said never to 

 contract the disease, or, if they do so, to have only a mild 

 attack, which is rarely fatal. This condition — and there seems 

 every reason to think it does exist — suggests to our minds the 

 possibility of these horses having been naturally inoculated 

 Avith attenuated virus, having had a mild attack, recovered, 

 and acquired this freedom from susceptibility. Indeed, as we 

 hinted before, we think there is in this colony a fair field for 

 a thorough testing of protective inoculation. 



Anthrax among the domesticated animals would appear to 

 be comparatively most fatal to horses in South Africa. Thus 

 we have on record, out of many other instances, one in which 

 a stock-owner on the same pastures lost on his cattle 30 per 

 cent., on his goats and horses 100 per cent., and gained 45 

 per cent, by his sheep in eight years. 



As far as the morbid processes of the disease are concerned, 

 horse-sickness is so clearly allied to what we have described as 

 anthrax proper, that we will forbear from further mention of 

 these. 



CHAPTER IX. 



PY^MIA^SEPTIC^MIA. 



Although these conditions may more correctly be regarded 

 as subjects pertaining specially to surgery, it is probably ad- 

 visable that a short notice be taken of the chief facts connected 

 with them, as they occasionally demand our attention in the 

 province of medicine. 



Definition. — Both i^ycemia and septiccumia may he regarded 



