STATE HYGIENE 585 



Outbreaks of anthrax in India are almost invariably 

 associated with a recent rainfall. The disease is practically 

 limited to the wet season, and the influence of rain in dis- 

 tributing the spores can easily be understood. Actual in- 

 fection occurs through the food, and probably in no other 

 way ; hay grass or other substances are collected from the 

 surrounding country, washed in pools to get rid of adhering 

 mud and dirt, and brought in by hand. 



With an alteration in the system of food-supply in India, 

 viz., by cutting and storing hay, and getting rid of the 

 bundle of wet grass, a great reduction in the number of 

 anthrax cases has been brought about, the credit of which 

 is entirely due to the persistent representations of the 

 Veterinary Department. 



No matter where the disease occurs, it is safe to say it 

 must be either by food or water, and never by contagion. 



An outbreak of anthrax generally begins by finding one 

 or several animals already dead ; in a temperate climate 

 like ours the disease may be limited to one or two cases at 

 long intervals; but in the tropics it is much more active, 

 and we have on many occasions had to do with outbreaks 

 which have carried off twenty or thirty animals in a few 

 days. 



The incubation period is short ; according to our observa- 

 tions, a good dose of bacilli gives the disease by the digestive 

 canal in 70 hours, but it is conceivable natural infection may 

 be a little longer. There is frequently a preliminary rise in 

 temperature which enables suspects to be picked out and 

 placed by themselves, or even treatment adopted, but when 

 a severe outbreak exists there is no time for taking tem- 

 peratures ; the cases having all been infected about the same 

 time become simultaneously affected, and keep one em- 

 ployed. 



In the course of four or five days the outbreak has passed, 

 unless further infection results. 



The method of dealing with the disease depends upon the 

 country and the animals infected. Taking anthrax in 

 India, and the horse as the subject, the first thing to do is 



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