PROPHYLAXY OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES. 
655 
he will die without communicating the disease to his neighbors 
in the stable. It is probable that this disease is also inoculated 
by nocturnal insects. Indeed almost all horses imported into 
South Africa take the disease; most of them die unless they are 
brought in at night, before sunset, and are not left out until 
morning after sunrise. That prophylaxy is not complicated but 
difficult to carry out while in campaign. These examples show 
how varied are the means proper to prevent the propagation of 
diseases. 
* '* * 
Although very varied, these processes, these methods can be 
collected into three large groups. In the first we will plaee the 
measures, properly called, of sanitary police ; in the second, we 
will find artificial immunization given by the inoculation of 
viruses, attenuated or not; finally, in the last, the various modes 
of serotherapy, preventive or curative, associated with or with¬ 
out the inoculation of the virus or of the vaccine. We shall 
examine these three groups successively, and I will as we go on 
show you their application to the medicine of animals. 
(i) .SANITARY MEASURES. 
The fundamental basis of sanitary police is to isolate the 
animals affected with contagious diseases. These affections do 
not spread except by the direct or indirect contact of diseased 
with healthy animals. If the sick were strictly separated from 
the healthy no contagion would occur and the disease would 
disappear of itself, either because the animals would die or re¬ 
aver. It is understood that the cadavers should be destroyed, 
and the places which the sick had occupied should be disin- 
:ected. Our fathers knew this, and Greek and Latin authors 
who have written on agricultural subjects and described anthrax 
ignis eacer ) and glanders ( malleus ) recommended not only the 
solation of the sick, but also that the cadavers should be buried 
or burnt. 
Those measures are still the base of sanitary legislation in 
hi civilized countries. It is completed by disinfection, in some 
:ases by slaughter of the sick and burning of their cadavers. 
