No. 4.] STABLE DISINFECTION. 369 



STABLE DISINFECTION. 



BT PROF. JAS. B. PAIGE, VETERINARIAN TO THE BOARD. 



The most satisfactory and least expensive method of deal- 

 ing with the diseases of domestic animals is to prevent them. 

 In many instances this may be done to advantage, with but 

 little trouble on the part of the owner. 



The prevention of disease is more under control of the one 

 having immediate care of animals than the veterinarian, who 

 is only consulted, or directs as to the best methods of pre- 

 vention. This applies to such disorders as arise from im- 

 proper feeding or watering, over-working, not allowing suffi- 

 cient exercise to keep in a healthy condition ; to disease, 

 occurring in connection with keeping animals under unsani- 

 tary conditions ; for example, keeping animals closely con- 

 fined in stables where there is defective drainage, or where 

 there is a deficiency of pure air or insufficient light, — in 

 general, where conditions are such as tend to weaken the 

 constitution and open the way for the easy development of 

 disease. 



The scientific study of animal pathology and bacteriology 

 during recent years has demonstrated that a large proportion 

 of the animal diseases is caused by the introduction into the 

 body of microscopically minute particles of living vegetable 

 matter, whose growth in the body fluids or tissues, or the 

 action of whose product of growth upon the different organs, 

 gives rise to this or that disease. 



This applies to most disorders of a contagious or infectious 

 nature. The organisms causing the diseases are given off 

 from the bodies of the affected animals, and are brought in 

 contact, through the medium of the air or by some similar 

 means, with the bodies of the healthy animals. 



We know that certain of these contagious diseases have a 

 specific cause in the form of an organism possessing peculiar 



