g62 Infectious Anemia of Horses. 



chronic form (Glage) runs an afebrile course contrary to 

 chronic infectious anemia, and attacks colts exclusively, while 

 in its more acute form (Schlegel) only the autopsy or the 

 demonstration of sclerostome larvae in the intraabdominal 

 hemorrhages is decisive. At the same time however the pres- 

 ence of a few sclerostome larvae in the subserous or submucous 

 tissues must not be misleading. Simple anemia is distinguished 

 by its afebrile course and by the demonstration of dietetic 

 errors of some primary affection or indications of some out- 

 side influence. 



Treatment. A treatment of infectious anemia which 

 promises positive results is at present unknown. The remedies 

 used so far, such as quinine, collargol, arsenical preparations, 

 have either proved powerless or at best only result in temporary 

 improvement, the same as intensive feeding and keeping the 

 animals from work. Nevertheless the arsenical preparations 

 appear to have a favorable influence on the disease, at least 

 in certain cases, thus Ostertag obtained at times a striking im- 

 provement from atoxyl (0.5-1.0 gm. intravenously in physio- 

 logical salt solution; according to Loewenthal up to 3 gm. of 

 atoxyl are well tolerated). Marek observed similarly good re- 

 sults from the cheaper natrium arsenicosum, which he adminis- 

 tered in gradually increasing doses, from 1-4 gm. per os for 

 two weeks, and then suspended for a period. 



Prevention. In order to prevent the introduction of the 

 disease the greatest care should be exercised in the purchase 

 of horses. Horses which are in any way suspicious, and 

 especially those which without any apparent cause are poorly 

 nourished, anemic, or easily fatigued, or in which the frequency 

 of the heart increases considerably from insignificant outside 

 causes, and in which at the same time the urine contains albu- 

 men, should not be placed in the horse stable until after sys- 

 tematic isolation and observation extending over three months 

 (for instance in the cattle stable). Every newly purchased 

 horse in infected localities should be subjected to a quarantine 

 of three months. At the same time the sanitary conditions 

 of the horse stables should be given full consideration. 



In already infected premises the attempt should be made 

 first of all to isolate all affected horses by systematic tempera- 

 ture measurements and then to disinfect the stables thoroughly. 

 The excrements of the affected animals are best disinfected 

 l)y packing them for at least one month in piles of about one 

 cubic meter (Ostertag). At the same time the food and drink- 

 ing water should be prevented from coming in contact ^\dth 

 the feces and urine of horses. If the disease appears among 

 pastured horses the apparently healthy animals should be 

 driven to a pasture which has not yet been used by horses, 

 and the affected animals should be stabled. Finally efforts 



