306 DISEASES OF CATTLE, SHEEP, GOATS, ETC. 



tarry, coagulating feebly. The anthrax carbuncles and swellings 

 differ from the blackleg swellings in not containing gas, in being 

 hard and solid, and in causing death less rapidly. 



It is difficult to distinguish between the swellings of blackleg 

 and malignant edema, since they resemble each other very closely 

 and both are distended with gas. Malignant edema, however, gene- 

 rally starts from a wound of considerable size; it usually follows 

 surgical operations, and does not result from the small abrasions and 

 pricks to which animals are subjected in pastures. Inoculation ex- 

 periments of guinea pigs, rabbits, and chickens will also disclose the 

 differences between the above three diseases, since all of these species 

 are killed by the germ of malignant edema, only the first two species 

 by the anthrax bacillus, while the guinea pigs alone will succumb to 

 the blackleg infection. Hemorrhagic septicemia may be differen- 

 tiated from blackleg by its affecting cattle of all ages, by the location 

 of the swelling usually about the region of the throat, neck, and 

 dewlap, by the soft, doughy character of these swellings without the 

 presence of gas bubbles, and finally by the characteristic hemor- 

 rhages widely distributed throughout the body. Other means of 

 diagnosis, which have reference to the specific bacilli, to the inocul- 

 able character of the virus upon small animals, and which are of 

 decisive and final importance, can be utilized only by the trained 

 bacteriologist and veterinarian. 



Treatment. In this disease remedies have thus far proved un- 

 availing. Some writers recommend the use of certain drugs, which 

 seem to have been beneficial in a few cases, but a thorough trial has 

 shown them to be valueless. Others advise that the swelling be 

 opened by deep and long incisions and a strong disinfectant, sucn as 

 a 5 per cent solution of carbolic acid, applied to the exposed parts, 

 but this procedure can not be too strongly condemned. Since nearly 

 all those attacked die in spite of every kind of treatment, and in 

 view of the fact that the germs of the disease are scattered over the 

 stables or pastures when these tumors are opened, thus becoming a 

 source of danger to other cattle, it is obvious that such measures do 

 more harm than good and should be put aside as dangerous. Bleed- 

 ing, nerving, roweling, or setoning have likewise some adherents, 

 but the evidence indicates that they have neither curative nor pre- 

 ventive value and therefore should be discarded for the method of 

 vaccination which has been thoroughly tried out and proved to be 

 efficacious in preventing the disease. 



Prevention. The various means suggested under Anthrax to 

 prevent the spread or recurrence of this disease are equally ap- 

 plicable to blackleg, and hence do not need to be repeated here in 

 full. They consist of the removal of the animals from the infected 

 pasture to a noninfected field, the draining of the swampy ground, 

 the burial or burning of the carcasses to prevent the dissemination 

 of the germs over vast areas through the agency of dogs, wolves, 

 buzzards, and crows, the disinfection of the stables and the ground 

 where the animals lay at the time of death, and, if possible, the 

 destruction of the germs on the infected pastures. One of the most 



