14 T. P. ANDERSON STUART. 



at least two hundred thousand sheep will be inoculated during 

 the ensuing season. These splendid results are of the highest 

 importance, for the loss sustained in the infected districts has 

 hitherto been tremendous. Hereafter, according to these results, 

 it need be no more than insignificant. But, further than that, 

 we may in this way hope to very greatly diminish, if not eradicate, 

 the disease, even should at some future time the inoculations be 

 discontinued, for one of the most important circumstances keeping 

 it persistently in a district is allowing the de*ad animals to rot 

 where they die. The ground near the carcass becomes saturated 

 with the organisms, and in the soil these have been proved to live 

 for many years. This, of course, could be met by burning the 

 dead bodies, and that should invariably be done where it can be 

 done. Unfortunately in these colonies it is rarely possible. If, 

 then, by inoculation the deaths from anthrax are either entirely 

 prevented or very greatly limited, it is clear that the absence of 

 rotting bodies, dead of this disease, will tend to let it die out in 

 the district; and a fortiori prevent its spread to other districts. 



THE SPREADING OF ANTHRAX. 



In connection with the spread of anthrax from infected to 

 uninfected country, I may mention that I am at present engaged 

 in investigating the cause of a certain green colour which appears 

 at times in wool, and which we have traced to the presence of a 

 chromogenic organism — the results will be laid before this Society 

 at an early date. In the course of the work we have, unexpectedly, 

 obtained an abundant growth of the anthrax bacillus from wool 

 sent to me quite unconnected with the subject of anthrax. It is 

 thus easy to see how sheep, in themselves perfectly healthy, from 

 an infected country may carry the organism to clean country and 

 so spread the disease. There is, of course, nothing really new in 

 this, but meeting it in the way I did, it rather impressed me. The 

 practice of some cautious pastoralists who will have nothing to do 

 with animals from an anthrax country is absolutely justified, for 

 even while themselves perfectly healthy they may carry the organism 

 in abundance in their fleeces. 



