462 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



has set in, the treatment recommended in the chapter on wounds 

 should be carried out. 



Prevention. — Since treatment is of little or no avail in this disease, 

 prevention is the most important subject demanding consideration. 

 The various means to be suggested may be brought under two heads: 

 (1) The surroundings of the animal, and (2) preventive inoculation. 



(1) Surroundings. — "\^niat has alread}' been stated of those con- 

 ditions of the pastures Avhich are favorable to anthrax will suggest 

 to most minds, after a little thought, some of the preventive measures 

 which may be of service in reducing losses in anthrax localities. All 

 that conduces to a better state of the soil should be attempted. The 

 State or Nation should do its share in preventing frequent inunda- 

 tions, by appropriate engineering. If pools of stagnant water exist 

 in the pastures, or if any particular portions are known by experience 

 to give rise to anthrax, they should be fenced off. Efforts should 

 likewise be made toward the proper draining of swamp lands fre- 

 quented by cattle. Sometimes it has been found desirable to abandon 

 for a season any infected and dangerous pastures. This remedy can 

 not be carried out by most farmers, and it is liable to extend the 

 infected territory. In some instances withdrawal of cattle from 

 pastures entirely and feeding them in stables is said to have reduced 

 the losses. 



It is of the utmost importance that carcasses of animals which have 

 died of anthrax should be properly disposed of, since every portion 

 of such animal contains the bacilli, ready to form spores when ex- 

 posed to the air. Perhaps the simplest means is to bury the carcasses 

 deep, where they can not be exposed by dogs or wild animals. It 

 may be necessary to bury them on the pasture, but it is better to 

 remove them to places not frequented by susceptible animals and to a 

 point where drainage from the graves can not infect any water supply. 



If they are moved some distance it must be borne in mind that the 

 ground and all objects which have come in contact with the carcass 

 should be disinfected. This is best accomplished wnth chlorid of 

 lime. For washing utensils, etc., a 5 per cent solution may be pre- 

 pared by adding 3 ounces to 2 quarts of water. This should be 

 prepared fresh from the powder, and it is but little trouble to have a 

 small tin measure of known capacity to dip out the powder, to be 

 added to the water whenever necessary. The carcass and the ground 

 should be sprinkled with powdered chlorid, or, if this be not at hand, 

 an abundance of ordinary unslaked lime should be used in its place. 



The removal of carcasses to rendering establishments is always 

 fraught with danger, unless those who handle them are thoroughly 

 aware of the danger of scattering the virus by careless handling in 

 wagons which are not tight. As a rule, the persons in charge of such 

 transfer have no training for this important work, so that deep burial 



