394 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[October, 
where external manifestations are present, 
its duration is longer, and the animal may live 
for several days. In this form, in which ex¬ 
ternal indications are present, besides the 
symptoms just mentioned there will be found 
upon the fore part of the body, on the neck, 
the shoulder, and in the mouth, and more 
seldom these occur on the posterior regions, 
very rapidly developing tumors. These are 
sometimes present to such an extent that 
the skin over them cracks open and there 
flows out a yellowish bloody liquid, which has 
a very offensive odor. 
A very marked character of these diseases 
is the rapidity with which the dead animal 
putrefies. Indeed, soon after death the body 
becomes enormously distended with gases, 
and a very offensive oder becomes manifest. 
A bloody foam escapes from the nostrils, and 
the vent is swollen and often covered with 
exuding blood. Under the skin, the blood is 
dark, black, and sticky. A yellowish red 
fluid is found around the joints. All the 
organs within the abdomen are gorged with 
blood. The liver and the spleen are gener¬ 
ally very large, of dark color, and easily torn. 
The lungs as also dark in color, and when cut 
through, a bloody mucus escapes from the 
divisions of the wind-pipe. The heart con¬ 
tains clots of dark blood, and is covered with 
little black spots, principally on the inner 
surface. A microscopical examination of the 
blood shows that the red corpuscles are softer 
and more irregular in their outlines. They 
gather into little masses, between which is 
seen a yellowish fluid, and in this are floating 
little bodies known as bacteria. They 
bacteria are regarded as among the lowest 
forms of organic life, they are classed with 
the yeast plant and other simple vegetable 
forms. These minute germs are regarded 
as the principal agents of contagion. They 
resist the destructive effects of putrefaction, 
and preserve their vitality in the soils and in 
the pastures, or whenever they may have 
been deposited by a sick animal, with its drop¬ 
pings, saliva, or any other of its discharges. 
The blood shows, in these bacteria, what is 
regarded as the cause of the diseases under 
consideration. According to the discoveries 
of the distinguished French chemist and phy¬ 
siologist, M, Pasteur, Anthrax is propagated 
by the dissemination of the germs of bacteria, 
and its ill effects are due to the growth 
of these within the blood of the animal. 
Many kinds of treatment for these diseases 
have been recommended, and many empirical 
remedies may be found in the market, most 
of which are, no doubt, worthless. In this, 
as in all other contagious affections, there are, 
besides the curative, two essential forms of 
treatment, one of which may be termed the 
sanitary, and the other the preventive, or as 
it is termed the “ prophylactic.” The sanitary 
treatment is of the greatest importance ; it 
includes whatever relates to the healthful 
care of the animals; drainage, ventilation, 
cleanliness, and proper food. Wherever the 
disease breaks out, the well and sick animals 
must be separated at once, and all should be 
removed from the stables they have occupied 
until the buildings can be thoroughly disin¬ 
fected. All dead animals should be buried 
very deeply, or better if they can be burned. 
As to preventive or prophylactic treatment 
but little positive is yet known. The small¬ 
pox in the human subject may be prevented 
with great certainty by the prophylactic 
treatment of vaccination. Some of the most 
eminent scientific workers abroad, notably 
M. Pasteur, have been seeking for a similar 
preventive for the anthrax diseases of ani¬ 
mals. Our knowledge of this method of 
treatment is as yet so limited that we may 
regard it as still in its infancy. In the few 
experiments that have been made in France 
its success was sufficient to warrant its trial 
in those parts of this country where Anthrax 
is at times wide-spread and fatal. This treat¬ 
ment is by vaccination; the experiments of 
M. Pasteur have shown that vaccinated ani¬ 
mals are protected from the disastrous effects 
of the disease, though for how long is yet to 
be learned. The experiments are of a kind that 
their methods would not interest the general 
reader, but we may say in brief that those 
animals that were made, by means of inoc¬ 
ulation, to take a mild form of Anthrax, were 
found protected against the disease in its 
worst form. The experiments that have been 
made in France appear to establish the fact 
that the most formidable forms of Anthrax 
may be as readily prevented by the proper 
inoculation of domestic animals, as small-pox 
may be avoided in the human subject. 
Another Lift Gate. 
Mr. P. Van Frank, Cape Girardeau Co., Mo., 
seeing an engraving of a lift gate in the May 
number of the American Agriculturist, sends 
a description of another that, instead of hav¬ 
ing the posts mortised, which weakens them, 
is provided with cleats that serve to hold 
the gate. Figure 1 shows the shape of the 
cleats, and figure 2 gives one end of the gate 
in position. Mr. P. Van F. says that gates of 
this kind are used to a considerable extent in 
his part of the country, and very much liked. 
Mixed Feeds. —One of the strong points 
in favor of the much praised ensilage, is that 
animals eat it with a relish. No food, how¬ 
ever rich it may be in food elements, will 
prove profitable if the farm stock can not be 
made to take to it kindly. It is on this ac¬ 
count that a mixing of feed has been so suc¬ 
cessful. Sameness palls upon the appetite— 
a change of diet encourages and sharpens it. 
A few roots cut, or better, pulped, and given 
to the animals, will make them eat the corn- 
fodder or cut straw with all the greater rel¬ 
ish. Try and make a little change in diet of 
the animals, even though it be only once a 
week, with some roots, potatoes, apples, etc., 
it will pay. The more an animal eats, and 
healthfully digests, the more profitable it is. 
A Double Number 
Two Million Pieces of Type! 
The Reader will notice that this number 
contains 88 pages, including the Illustrated 
Tinted Covers. (The printers say it has ten 
hundred thousand “ ems,” as they measure 
their work, or about 2,000,00© pieces of 
type, each one to be handled twice over, in 
“distributing” and “composing,” thus re¬ 
quiring four million hand movements). 
Be that as it may, aSS our readers will be 
interested in the extra, or Supplement pages, 
which, besides the reading matter, gives (in 
pages 427 to 466) illustrations and descriptions 
of many interesting and useful articles, some 
of which every reader will desire to possess. 
Well, one or more of them can be readily 
obtained by almost every reader, without 
cost—or only express or freight, for some 
larger articles. More than 30,000 Mess, 
Women, and Children, have thus ob¬ 
tained desired articles from our Premium 
Lists, and at least 00,000 of our present 
readers may do the same. Many have sent 
Clubs all the way from ten to fifty, and even 
up into the hundreds, and secured corres¬ 
ponding premiums. 
Indeed, almost every one knows of, or can 
readily find, one, two, or five friends, or 
neighbors, who would be benefited by a 
year’s perusal of this Journal, and who only 
need to have their attention called to it, by 
some one who is already a reader, and knows 
its character and value. 
Purchasing the Premium Articles. 
—Many readers, especially those remote from 
the centers of trade, and others who desire to 
order from a responsible source, will find it 
convenient to obtain some articles from our 
list, in addition to what they have time or 
opportunity to secure as premiums. It will 
be noticed that provision is made for supply¬ 
ing such articles to any of our readers at the 
prices named. See page 435, and onward. 
Preserve the Cist Carefully, for ref¬ 
erence up to next June, as the articles de¬ 
scribed will be open for premiums or pur¬ 
chase from now up to that time. 
NOTE THAT New Subscribers for 
1882, for premiums or otherwise, can be 
sent right along notv. Those arriving 
before November 1st, will have the Ameri¬ 
can Agriculturist 14 months at one year’s 
cost; those arriving during November, will 
have it 13 months. 
