ANTHRAX. 
291 
before death or within an hour after death, it is generally 
useless making specimens. 
Microscopical examination of the blood taken immediately before 
or shortly after death will afford a correct diagnosis. The disease 
will be best understood by quoting a few illustrative cases. Some 
of these occurred among elephants at the same time that this disease 
was raging amongst horned cattle in the same locality. 
Case No. 1. — Red spots observed on the mucous membranes, 
eyes staring, passed blood with the excrement. During illness kept 
shivering and leaning against trees ; after falling he did not rise 
again. Died on the second day of illness. Putrid smell from the 
mouth soon after death. Another animal had a short time previously 
died suddenly near by. 
Case No. 2. — -One morning an animal to all appearances well, 
was saddled, loaded and started from camp ; she had only gone a 
short distance, when it was observed that she was not walking 
properly, i.e.^ signs of weakness behind were evident ; she suddenly 
stopped and refused to go on, so was turned to return to camp, 
but in a short time she fell down ; the baggage and kah (basket) 
ropes were cut through at once but she did not rise again, 
dying in a short time. This elephant had a day or so before 
grazed over a place where the carcase of an elephant which had 
recently died had been dragged by two elephants for about a mile 
for burial. 
Case No. 3. — Three elephants, namely, Nos. 100, loi, 103, 
were working in the same creek. These elephants had worked 
through the hot weather ; they had a day off after every three days' 
work. Grazing was scarce ; they lived chiefly on dry bamboo and 
were given a liberal ration of paddy daily. The drinking water was 
taken from shallow wells freshly made ; the w^ater however was 
described as putrid and offensive : and that in which the animals 
were bathed was stagnant. It had rained for a couple of days prior 
to the first elephant being attacked. 
On the morning of the 5th May, No. 103 was noticed to be out 
of sorts, so was not sent to work ; after receiving some medicine he 
was set free to graze. In the evening, when brought to water, he 
was observed to be much worse ; he drank as usual, but his ears and 
body were cold, and he was very dull. His mahout took him into 
the jungle, and during the night he was observed to fall once and lie 
down several times ; in the morning he was found standing alongside 
a clump of bamboo, looking very sick ; his mucous membranes were 
yellow, trunk swollen, and he was unable to move ; he dropped and 
died. This was on the 6th May. Cause of death supposed to be 
sunstroke, but proved to be anthrax. 
