455 



ANTHRAX. 



Anthrax has long been known as a very fatal disease « 

 Prior to the discovery of its cause it was attributed to feeding 

 cattle on highly nutritious or artificial foods, which induced 

 an attack of apoplexy or enlargement of the spleen, resulting 

 in the sudden death of the animal. It is believed that this 

 view as to the cause of anthrax still exists in many parts 

 of the country, for it is a common practice amongst owners of 

 stock, who are unaware of its dangerous and fatal character, 

 to slaughter their cattle as soon as they present serious 

 symptoms of illness, in order to sell the hide or to utilise 

 the carcase for human food. The blood of the diseased 

 animal is, no doubt, in' many cases distributed over the floors 

 of the sheds, or upon the mangers, or is carried upon the 

 boots of the attendants, and infects other parts of the farm or 

 premises. 



It is important that it should be w^idely known that the 

 view formerly entertained as to the nature of anthrax is 

 erroneous, and that the disease is entirely due to the intro- 

 duction into the blood of an animal, or of man, of the 

 minute spores or germs contained within the anthrax bacilli, 

 which are always to be found in the blood of animals 

 recently dead of anthrax. The bacilli of anthrax and the 

 spores therein die speedily if kept within the intact carcase, 

 but multiply with great rapidity if they are exposed to the 

 air. 



It will thus be recognised that in order to prevent the 

 extension of anthrax from diseased to healthy animals, or to 

 persons, it is essential that the diseased carcase should not 

 be opened, and that none of the blood or natural secretions 



