Anthrax. 



457 



traced to the distribution upon the farms of manure con- 

 taining the cuttings or scrapings of hides. 



In their own interest owners of stock should permit their 

 animals when affected with anthrax to die, rather than 

 slaughter them in the ordinary way, and thus infect their 

 sheds, stock-yards, and other parts of their farms and 

 premises, and possibly cause the death of those persons 

 who may be engaged in slaughtering them. 



It will be gathered from the preceding remarks that, since 

 the means by which anthrax may be spread are different 

 from those of other contagious diseases of stock, the 

 measures to be adopted for preventing its extension should 

 also be dissimilar. 



Whenever an animal with suspicious symptoms during life 

 dies suddenly from some unaccountable cause, the fact should 

 be at once reported to the Local Authority, and the owner 

 should forthwith plug the nostrils and all the natural openings 

 with hay or tow saturated w-ith a strong solution of carbolic 

 acid, to prevent the oozing of any blood therefrom. The 

 Veterinary Inspector should at once inquire as to the cause 

 of death, and determine by careful investigation whether 

 anthrax exists or not. This can be done soon after death 

 by examining with a microscope a few drops of blood taken 

 from one of the superficial veins. 



It having been decided that the disease to be deait with 

 is anthrax, the owner should cause all the cattle, sheep, or 

 swine that have been in association with the dead animal, 

 and are pronounced by the Veterinary Inspector to be 

 apparently healthy, to be moved as soon as possible from 

 the shed or field or other place where the disease has 

 originated, to some other place on the farm or premises, 

 there to be isolated. These animals should be given an 

 entire change of food and water, and as the period of 

 incubation of anthrax is usually very short, isolation for 

 seven days will usually be sufficient to enable the Veterinary 

 Inspector to determine whether any of these animals are 

 infected or not. 



For the burial of the carcase some part of the farm should 

 be selected which is remote from any watercourse, and to 



