DISEASES OF THE OX AND SHEEP. 251 



a sufficient quantity of quicklime and with at least six feet of 

 earth. AH animals which die or are killed should be thus 

 buried without delay, and all fluids or excreta that ooze from 

 the body should likewise be immediately burned, with the same 

 precautions. 



Braxy mutton is not sold in Scotland, but braxy hams are to 

 be seen hanging up, and many are smoked in the farm-houses 

 of sheep-rearing districts. Even abroad the shepherds do not 

 altogether reject braxy mutton. It has, however, been shown 

 by Koch that the spores of the germs of anthrax can readily 

 cause infection by the medium of the alimentary canal. This 

 fact is of great importance, as showing that the flesh of animals 

 dead of anthrax is certainly not fit for human consumption, and 

 on no account should it be sold for food, even for animals ; and, 

 of course, very much more reason is there why human beings 

 should not eat such meat. Moreover, if the carcases are opened 

 for examination or handled, the greatest care and precaution 

 should be exercised. If there are any cuts or sores upon the 

 hands or elsewhere, on no account should the carcase be even 

 touched. If any one does become affected, a doctor should be 

 at once consulted. 



We believe that in past years very much flesh of animals which 

 have died of anthrax has been consumed ; but now that a know- 

 ledge of the dangers of this practice has become general, it is 

 most earnestly to be hoped that on no account will this most 

 dangerous practice be carried out. 



All districts wherein anthrax breaks out from time to time 

 should be thoroughly drained, and the fields should be thoroughly 

 dressed with lime. If an outbreak occurs among a herd of 

 cattle or a flock of sheep, the infected animals and those which 

 are suspected to be infected should be at once set apart. Then 

 either the preventive inoculation above spoken of should be per- 

 formed on the rest, or to each ox three drachms of sulphite of 

 sodium, and to each sheep about one drachm of the same salt 

 should be given twice or thrice daily for a week dissolved in 

 water. The food supply should be carefully regulated. More- 

 over, the healthy sheep or oxen should be taken away to a dry 

 pasture, the diseased ones alone being left in the field, from 

 which it is very possible that the germs have arisen. The food 

 and the water should be very carefully looked to. Fermenting 



