DISEASES OF THE OX AND SHEEP. 249 



sheep, cattle, and horses living on it, unless by means of 

 thorough drainage and eflScient dressing with lime the bacilli be 

 prevented from further multiplication. 



As we have above pointed out. Professor Pasteur has intro- 

 duced a method of inoculating animals in districts where anthrax 

 is prevalent, with anthrax virus which has been subjected to a 

 high temperature, and passed through different species of 

 animals, whereby it becomes attenuated. According to Dr. 

 Klein, however, this inoculation loses its protective power after 

 a short time. He has proved the intense potency of small quan- 

 tities of corrosive sublimate on the germs of anthrax, and he 

 advocates the use of a *' vaccine," the virulence of which has 

 been destroyed by means of this salt of mercury. 



He suggests that a culture in broth of anthrax germs together 

 with spores should be used for the purpose of inoculating a 

 guinea-pig, and then that another guinea-pig should be inocu- 

 lated with the blood of this guinea-pig, another with that of this 

 latter one, and so on. The guinea-pigs die of anthrax before, 

 or at the end of, the second day after the inoculation. The 

 blood taken from the dead guinea-pigs (of the fourth remove) 

 is then to be medicated and then used for inoculating sheep. 



Dr. Klein has shown that so potent is the above-mentioned 

 mercurial salt that one part of it in 25,000 of water will in about 

 fifteen minutes' time prevent the bacilli of anthrax from pro- 

 ducing virulent anthrax in sheep, and that sheep inoculated 

 with a mixture thus prepared are thereby protected against 

 subsequent infection with virulent anthrax material. The blood 

 of the dead guinea-pigs is to be mixed with 100 times its volume 

 of a solution of perchloride of mercury of the strength of 1 in 

 25,000, or 1 grain in about 50 fluid ounces of distilled water. 

 This should be kept thus mixed for about 15 minutes, and then 

 about a half, or even the whole, of the contents of a hypodermic 

 syringe should be injected under the skin of the groin, or inside 

 the thigh of each sheep. After the lapse of a week the injection 

 may be repeated with a mixture prepared in the same way, 

 i.e. the fresh blood of a guinea-pig which has died of virulent 

 anthrax is to be kept mixed for 15 minutes with 100 times its 

 volume (as measured) of a solution of perchloride of mercury in 

 the proportion of one part of that salt to 25,000 parts of 

 water. 



