CONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF DOMESTICATED ANIMALS. 259 



out exception result from want of food, want of water, or want of shelter 

 in inclement weather. Losses that occur during the summer months 

 are far less severe, and are mostly caused by insects and their larvie. 



Besides the southern cattle fever, which does not, at least not visibly, 

 affect the native Texas cattle, the only infectious disease of any im- 

 portance is so-called "black-leg" or "black quarter" (the anthrax symp- 

 ^owfl/(Vy?(^> of the French), but even this disease occurs only at certain 

 localities and during certain seasons of the year, particularly in the 

 spring, and in my opinion will become a rare occurrence in the graz- 

 ing districts of Texas as soon as Texas stockmen will learn that dead 

 animals must be buried or be cremated, and that it is bad i)olicy to allow 

 live stock to drink the water of stagnant pools. The infectious and 

 epizootic diseases occurring among sheep were investigated last year, 

 and although I do not claim that everything worth knowing about 

 them has been brought to light, enough is known to enable the Texas 

 tlock-master to apply such measures of prevention as will protect his 

 flocks. Besides, the spring is not the time in which those sheei) dis- 

 eases make their appearance, and, owing to a severe winter (severe for 

 Texas at least), hardly any case occurred or came to my knowledge. 

 Last year an epizootic disease occurred among the hoi'ses on the Gulf 

 coast, but this year nothing of that kind hanpened, at least not as far 

 as I was able to learn. So not much could be done, except examining 

 some cases of so-called "black-leg," and in regard to these I was not 

 able to ascertain anything that is not already known, because being in 

 a thinly settled country and far from home I lacked the necessary fa- 

 cilities, such as a laboratory and experimental station. If it is desired 

 to study and to thoroughly investigate the disease known as "black- 

 leg," it can be done more easily and with better facilities in a more 

 thickly settled country, where the distances are not so great as they 

 are in Texas. Hence toward the end of July. or about the fiist of 

 August, I asked the Department, brieHy stating my reasons, to be re- 

 called from Texas, and in reply to my letter I received orders which as- 

 signed me to other work. So I left Texas in the forepart of August. 

 Very respectfully submitted. 



H. J. DETMERS. 



DfiCEMBEK 1, 1883. 



