10 
ROBERT MEADE SMITH. 
ally indifferent to matters of health as compared with matters 
which may affect their pecuniary resources. While, therefore, it 
might be expected that our zealous anti-vivisectionists might re¬ 
gard with incredulity or indifference the fact that the basis of 
physiology, which, in turn, is the foundation of pathology, rests 
on experiments on animals, let us only show them that such ex¬ 
periments may save their pockets, and we may have some hope of 
convincing them of the utility of vivisection. Let me, therefore, 
give you some idea of the losses inflicted by anthrax. 
In one district of France alone (Beaunce) it killed annually 
187,000 sheep, which (at only 30 francs a head) meant a loss to 
their owners of $1,068,000. In 1842, when sheep were much 
less valuable than at present, the loss in the same district was es¬ 
timated at $1,416,000. In the district of Chartres, 17,800 sheep 
perished from this disease every year. In fact, it is estimated 
that in France alone, sheep to the value of $4,000,000 are lost 
annually from anthrax. 
In Russia also the losses are enormous, especially among the 
cattle. In 1837, in one district alone, 1,900 died of anthrax; 
and in 1857 it was reported that in the Russian Empire 100,000 
horses had perished of the disease. In 1860, 13,104 cattle died 
out of 18,883, attacked with anthrax ; and from the official report 
of 1864 it appears that in five districts of Russia, 10,000 animals, 
mostly horses, died of this disease, while 1,000 persons were in¬ 
fected and perished. From the 15th of January to the 27th of 
March, 1865, 47,000 cattle, 2,543 horses, and 57,844 other do¬ 
mesticated animals were lost in three other Russian districts; and 
in the Government of Tobolsk, in June and July, 1874, there 
perished from the “ Siberian plague,” as anthrax is sometimes 
designated, 1,735 horses, 516 cattle, 1,030 sheep, 52 pigs, 15 
goats, and 106 human beings. 
In other countries it is also very prevalent and deadly, and 
with us the ravages of “ Texas fever,” which is probably a vari¬ 
ety of anthrax, are but too well known. 
{To be continued .) 
