CONTAGIOUS DISEASES. 825 



Prevention — Drain the soil in the pastures; either confine the stock to 

 smaller pastures or increase the stock to feed the pasture more closely; 

 when cattle, especially young ones, are thriving very fast on a rich succu- 

 lent pasture or aftermath, confine them in a barn-yard four to six hours a 

 day. Shelter the stock at night during late summer and fall, when the 

 days are hot and nights cool, or rather cold, — when the dews are heavy 

 and the air gets quite chilly towards morning; it is at this time that inter- 

 nal congestions are apt to occur. In dry, hot weather, remove the stock 

 to high ground, where miasmatic gases exist to a less extent. Secure clear, 

 pure water to drink; avoid too sudden fattening; see that barns and sheds 

 are well ventillated and not overcrowded. The diseased animals should 

 be separated from the healthy; carcasses should be burned without being 

 skinned. Pour kerosene over them and set fire to them, also to all litter 

 they had used, and to their excrement. The buildings where deaths have 

 occured or sick animals been, should be thoroughly disinfected. Avoid 

 touching them, so far as possible, and wash the hands both before and 

 after doing so, in carbolic acid, one to one hundred of water. Prevent 

 dogs, cats, etc., from coming in contact with them, and never allow meat 

 that is affected, or suspected of being affected, to be eaten. Prevention 

 by vaccination with an antitoxin is successfully done now (1900) in all civ- 

 ilized countries, where veterinary science is recognized and encouraged. 

 The material is injected underneath the skin of all exposed animals, horses, 

 cattle and sheep, which renders immunity to them to the contagion. The 

 vaccine for anthrax and black leg can be gotten from the various agricul- 

 tural experiment stations, and from the Pasteur Vaccine Company in 

 Chicago, 111. , with full directions for use. Some sections of the country 

 are sadly afflicted annually with these diseases. In such localities vaccina- 

 tion should be resorted to every spring. 



VI. Variola Vaccinae, or Cow Pox. 



This is a contagious disease, and has been proven to be identical with 

 small-pox of the human family ; either can be produced in either men or 

 cattle by inoculation from the other species. A heifer inoculated with 

 virus of small-pox, will have a disease identical with the cow-pox ; and 

 men inoculated with cow-pox will have a disease that may be considered 

 either cow-pox or a very mild form of small-pox. To have either, secures 

 immunity from a subsequent attack at least to a great extent, or for 

 a longer or shorter period, sometimes only for a year or two, and some- 

 times for a lifetime. Cow or kine-pox is a specific blood poison that has 

 a period of incubation of three to nine days, shows itself by a slight 

 fever for a couple of days, then breaks out in pimples on the teats, udder 

 flanks, escutcheon, and around the vulva, nose, mouth and eyes. These 



