SPECIFIC INFECTIVE DISEASES 157 



organisms — the bacillus anthracis circulating in the 

 blood. The spores of this disease are very resistant to 

 many chemical agents, consequently this malady has 

 often been perpetuated through the medium of an 

 anthrax carcass or the grave where such has been buried 

 many years before. In man this affection is known as 

 wool sorter's disease, a malignant pustule contracted 

 through handling infected wool, alpaca, mohair, and 

 hides, either dried or fresh, whilst in exceptional instances, 

 anthrax has been transmitted through the apparently 

 harmless kid glove, plus some abrasion on the finger or 

 hand. Flies, especially the blow-fly, have been known 

 to carry infection to man, with fatal results. Legislation 

 compels the owner of an anthrax carcass to have it 

 cremated, which is done by the local authorities' instruc- 

 tions, immediately under police supervision. 



Tetanus (Lockjaw) 



Tetanus is a disease due to micro-organisms, but these 

 do not enter the circulation as in the case of the anthrax 

 germs. They remain at the seat of the wound, where they 

 manufacture toxins of a very deadly nature. It is a fairly 

 common disease among horses in particular localities ; 

 in fact, the most trifling injuries are often followed by 

 the development of tetanus, the organisms of which are 

 found in garden soil, drift sand, etc., hence the reason 

 why it is always expedient, even v/ith trivial wounds, no 

 matter whether man or animals, to clean these thoroughly 

 and paint them with iodine liniment — one of the most 

 valuable antiseptics known, and one which should always 

 be kept handy in every stable and household throughout 

 the world. In the horse, tetanus very often follows 

 wounds about the feet, such as " picked-up nail," punc- 

 ture of the foot through a misdirected nail at the forge, 

 abrasions of the skin and following upon castration, the 

 latter in particular. The size of the wound bears no 



