40 Blackleg. 



siderable losses among the young cattle, while older animals 

 are attacked only exceptionally. During the winter, and when 

 the cattle are fed in the stable, the disease appears very rarely. 



In Germany, blackleg was observed during the years 1888 to 1905 most fre- 

 quently in the Prussian provinces, Schleswig-Holstein, Ehiueland and Westphalia, 

 and on the mountain pastures of the Khine provinces; before the introduction of 

 the protective vaccination, 4 to 8%, at some places even 12 to 15%, of the young 

 cattle were destroyed by the diseas^e. During the 10 years 1899 to 1908, in about 

 188 districts 7 (?) horses, 1,193 cattle, 36 sheep and" 2 goats were infected with 

 the disease; the number of districts varied between 157 (1897) and 214 (1908), 

 while the number of cases varied between 92S (1902) and 1973 (1906). More than 

 two-thirds of the communities and cases were in Prussia, where the government dis- 

 trict Schleswig was particularly attacked; then follow Bavaria, Hesse, and Wiirttem- 

 berg. According to Scheibel, blackleg is often observed in Upper Hesse in sheep 

 and goats. 



In Austria the disease appears chiefly in Lower Austria and Tyrol, while the 

 coast regions, Silesia and Dalmatia, are nearly free from it. During the years 1891 

 to 1900, the average loss amounted to 552 head of cattle or 0.006% of the total stock 

 in the involved regions. The number of infected localities varied between 142 (1892) 

 and 227 (1898). 



In Hungary, the disease appears on the mountain pastures of Siebenbiirgen 

 and in the Northeastern part of the country, and also in the former inundation dis- 

 trict of the Tisza Eiver. Although the disease is not subject to obligatory notifi- 

 cation, 1,460 cases were reported from 30 communities in 1907. 



In Switzerland the average annual loss during the years 1897 to 1S02 amounted 

 to 687 head of cattle, two-thirds of which must be charged to the cantons of Berne, 

 Friebourg and Waadt. During the year 1908, in 272 communities, 779 animals were 

 attacked. 



In the other European countries blackleg is also in evidence, and in 1908 

 Belgium had 274 cases of the disease, mostly in the provinces Liege and West 

 Flanders; Italy had 407, and Norway 67 cases, while in Sweden there were 56 

 infected farms. In France the northerly and southeasterly mountain districts are 

 severely infected, while in Great Britain it is Scotland, and in Denmark, Jutland. 

 In Holland the disease causes greater losses than anthrax. 



In Africa, blackleg has been observed in Algeria and the southern part of the 

 continent (there known as Spons-Ziekte and Swamm-Ziekte), and it is said that in 

 many regions of the Transvaal 10 to 25%, sometimes even 50%, of the young cat- 

 tle are destroyed annually by the disease. In America the disease has been observed 

 in most of the northern states and seems to be very common. During the year 1906, 

 from the Federal Bureau of Animal Industry alone, there were shipped 1,250,000 

 doses of protective vaccine to 40 states and territories. Most exposed to attacks are 

 the vast regions between the Mississippi Valley in the east and the Eocky Moun- 

 tains in the west. In South America (Chile) the disease has also been observed. 



Etiology. The blackleg bacillus, bacillus gangraenae em- 

 physematosae (Clostrydium sarcophysematos bovis Kitt, bac- 

 terium chauveaui) is on an average 2 to 6^ long, 0.5^^ thick, 

 slender and straight, rounded at the ends, and motile by means 

 of flagella. At a certain stage of its development, the liacillus 

 assumes a whetstone or lemon-like shape (clostrydium form), 

 while in the interior a spore develops at the center or at the 

 end. (Figs. 13 and 14.) 



Staining. For this the common watery solutions of aniline dyes as 

 well as Gram's method are suitable. 



Culture. Cultures develop in the presence of hydrogen 

 and illuminating gas, ^Wth the exclusion of oxygen, as" well as 

 in vacuum, particularly in Martin's pepton-bouilton (Leclainche 

 & Vallee) ; also in chicken bouillon (Arloing), and on gelatin 

 and agar containing blood-serum, pepton, "glycerin or a re- 

 ducing substance (Kitasato). The bacillus thrives best at 36 



