302 
CRITICAL RESUME OF THE ETIOLOGY OF 
BLACKLEG, &c. 
By A. G. Rolls, M.R.C.V.S., Arundel. 
Synonyms. —Inflammatory Fever, Hcemato sepsis (Simonds), 
Black Quarter, Quarter III, Puck, Gloss Anthrax, Splenic 
Apoplexy, fyc. 
French Names. — Charbon , Gloss Anthrax, Avant Cceur, 
Etranyuillon, 8fc. German Names. — Milzseuche, Som- 
merseuche, Beulenseuche, 8fc. 
Amid the many subjects connected with veterinary science 
upon which veterinarians of different schools and nations 
disagree, is the important one of the principal producing cause 
of that blood disease known generally by one or the other of 
the above English names in different parts of Great Britain, 
and manifesting itself locally in the affected animals in various 
ways, but constantly presenting a blood alteration, recognised 
on post-mortem examination, by non-coagulability, by a dif¬ 
ference in colour, it becoming much deeper in hue, and, when 
rubbed on the fingers, presenting a blackish-brown tint, and 
its rapidly becoming, or being at the time putrid, with the 
presence, as seen under the microscope, of foreign bodies 
known as bacteria. The number of animals succumbing to 
this affection year by year must represent a considerable 
average, more, perhaps, than veterinarians imagine, as from 
the acquaintance the agriculturist has of the rapid and hope¬ 
less nature of the disease, he dispenses in many instances 
with medical attendance. This is then a subject w'ell worth 
the attention of agriculturists and their societies, as inti¬ 
mately connected with their welfare and interest, while to the 
veterinarian it is one of those subjects which, if possible, 
should be brought from the realm of doubt and indecision to 
that of decided unanimous conviction, by calm reasoning and 
experienced observation and experiment. Let us glance 
briefly at the opinions laid down by some of our professors, 
standard authors and practitioners, and from them deduce 
the opinion held by the greater number of Englishmen, and 
then consider the opinions promulgated by most continental 
authorities. Y'ouatt, in his work on cattle (edition 1870), 
treating the subject under the term inflammatory fever, says. 
