DISEASES OF FARM ANIMALS XI 5 



by the disease show dullness and laziness; at the 

 same time indigestion disturbances and diarrhcEa is 

 observed. The best treatment is to kill the fowls 

 affected just as soon as they become affected. This 

 will prevent the disease from spreading. It is ad- 

 visable to burn the bodies of the dead so as to pre- 

 vent the spreading of the germs. Thorough 

 disinfection is necessary. 



BLACKLEG. — An infectious disease produced by 

 the blackleg bacillus, a parasite which lives and 

 propagates in the soil of infected districts and in the 

 bodies of diseased animals. Certain kinds of soil 

 are very favorable to the existence of the parasite, 

 and such, when once infected, easily remain so 

 permanently and thus constitute the source of the 

 disease. Years ago blackleg was regarded as a form 

 of anthrax. This has been proved erroneous, how- 

 ever, for blackleg and anthrax are two distinct and 

 independent diseases, each being caused by a 

 specific germ. One diseased animal does not trans- 

 mit the disease directly to a healthy one. When 

 caused, it is the result of self-inoculation, that is, by 

 the germ entering a wound in the skin or mucous 

 membrane of the body, produced on the legs while 

 the animals are roaming over the fields, or at the 

 mouth while grazing ; these are the places by which 

 the blackleg germs get into the system. 



An animal dying of blackleg is fairly alive with 

 germs, which remain in virulent condition for a long 

 time. It behooves the farmer, therefore, to com- 

 pletely destroy this kind of dead; not by burying, 

 for then the germs remain in the soil. The best 

 way is to burn the animal right on the spot where 

 it died. If the animal is moved to another place, 

 the infection is spread, thereby, and not only the 

 death place, but the grass over which the animal 



