FOOT-ROT IN SHBEP 289 



§ 212. Prevention. In the prophylaxis of the disease 

 the wounds of the skin and the mucous membrane are to be 

 kept from infection with the soil, those which are already in- 

 fected are to be disinfected, while after difficult delivery in 

 which the genital passages have been injured a thorough 

 cleansing of the latter and of the uterus check the development 

 of the trouble. Test animals can be immunized against the 

 virulent infection by injection of tissue juices containing spores 

 after heating it to 92° C. for 7 hours (Leclainche and Vallee). 

 These inoculations protect only against malignant edema and 

 not at the same time against symptomatic anthrax, as Le- 

 clainche and Vallee have proved in contradiction to the earlier 

 experiences of Roux and Duenschmann. 



FOOT-ROT IN SHEEP 



§ 213. Characterization. Foot-rot in sheep is an infec- 

 tious disease characterized by a specific inflammation of the 

 tissues just above the horny part of the cleft of the foot, which 

 extends downward, undermining the horny portion. It 

 appears in epizootic and enzootic forms. Sheep are most often 

 attacked, although other species are reported to be susceptible. 



§ 214. History. Foot-rot has been recognized for more 

 than a hundred years. It has been described from various 

 parts of Europe by Chabert, Pictet and Gohier. It seems to 

 have first appeared in this country late in the eighteenth cen- 

 tury. It has recently been investigated by Mohler and Wash- 

 burn. They found a specific organism, and thus differentiated 

 it from the streptococcic infection. 



§ 215. Etiology. The cause of this form of foot-rot is, 

 according to Mohler and Washburn, an anaerobic organism. 

 Bacillus necrophorus. This organism is isolated with difficulty 

 from these lesions because of the association with it of other 

 bacteria. The most satisfactory method is by inoculating 

 white mice or rabbits subcutaneously with the diseased tissue 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



