REPORT ON THE DISEASE KNOWN AS ANTHRAX. 
49 
the poet Virgil, which occurred on the Tiinavus, which involved 
domestic and wild animals in destruction ; and he also indicates 
the danger of transmission to man. 
“ The skins are useless, nor the tainted flesh 
Can water cleanse, nor raging fire subdue ; 
Nor is it possible to shear the fleece 
All saturated with disease and filthiness ; 
Nor can the weaver touch the putrid web, 
But should a man attempt the odious garb 
With burning pustules, and disgusting meat 
His limbs offend ; and in no lengthened time 
The fire accursed consumes his poisoned frame.” 
The earliest Greek and Roman writers describe this disease 
under a variety of titles. As remarked by Bollinger, i% After the 
authors of the middle ages, from the fourteenth to the eighteenth 
century, had concealed the various forms of anthrax as different 
diseases under numerous names, it first became known toward the 
end of the last century that these many-fold diseases were in 
reality only different forms of the same disease. The most no¬ 
ticeable services in this direction were rendered by Chabert, 
(1780), who in his monogram joined the similarity of the mala¬ 
dies, which until then had been considered as totally distinct.” 
So great was the interest taken in the disease, no doubt from its 
prevalence, that this little treatise passed through seven editions 
in as many years, and was translated into several continental 
languages. 
I am not aware of any records of outbreaks of this disease in 
Canada having been kept, but in conversing with old people who 
have lived nearly a lifetime in the country, I find that they have 
no difficulty in recalling to mind repeated instances in which 
farm stock have died mysteriously, and which then as now was 
usually attributed to tonic plants, malicious poisoning, “ the evil 
eye,” u elfshot,” or “ a visitation of Providence.” 
Nature .—It is a constitutional disease affecting all species of 
animals, more especially cattle, sheep and pigs, poultry and wild 
animals, and communicable to the horse and ass by inoculation. 
In whatever species of animal it occurs it is characterized by the 
same changes in the blood, but differing in different animals and 
