The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-08-12
Anthrax or Black Leg In Cattle.

| (bacterla) which have acquired the dan
gerous facility of living and increasing
in the blood and tissues of the animal
| body. One form of the malady is the
malignant anthrax proper-the malig-
nant postule of man-caused by an
organism which exists in the blood and
vital fluids in the form of microscopic
staf-shaped bodies, as well as spherical
ones. This type is readily communica
bic to all species of warm blooded ami
mails unless they have already been
rendered insusceptible by an earlier at
| tack. The second form is associated
with microscopic organism which is
| found in the spherical form only in the
blood and animal fluids, and which has
not been found to attack readily other
animals than cattle.
Both are equally dangerous to cattle;
| the first is quite as dangerous to man and
other warm blooded animals. Whether
the germs in both diseases are but vari-
cites of the same organism remains to be
seen; what is more Immediately to the
point is that both appear to follow the
same law of development and to depend
on the same general conditions for the
maintenance of their virulence. This is
most inveterate if secluded from air, but
is gradually lost in the presence of fresh
air and moisture. Hence the germ once
introduced or developed in soil of a
! close, impervious and compact kind, in
one overcharged with the remains of an
imal or vegetable life, or in one habitu-
ally water-logged is preserved indetn-
| itely, while in one which is naturally
IL nd, hy,h line h,n
| thoroughly underdrained, it sooner or
| later loses its virulence. In accumula-
| tons of litter or manure, in liquid ma
nure tanks, in close cellars and the like,
| it is more likely to be preserved than else
where. To check the progress of the
malady, therefore, and prevent new at
tackS, the exposed cattle should at once
be moved to soil which is thoroughly
drained and pervious to moistures.
The carcasses of the dead and all the
products of the sick should be burned.
or if buried at all it should be in dry,
porous soil with a covering of quick
| lime to favor speedy decomposition, and
securely fenced in 50 that no other cattle
can approach the place, nor eat the grass
grown upon it for several years. If
uttlllD VI lDtlNlOuS SUI Ollll Is dIldll-
able for burial then burning the carcasSes
is far to be preferred. When pasture
has once had an outbreak of black leg it
cannot be considered safe for several
years to come. The publication of such
pastures may be expedited by placing
them under rotation of crops and
stirring the soil as frequently as possible,
so as to expose the germs to the air and
lessen or remove their virulence by
changing the medium in which they
grow. The grand principle is never to
be lost sight of that it is the habit they
acquire of using up little oxygen in their
growth which fits these germs for
growing in the blood, and it is the habit
of using up much air that units
them for survival in the animal fluids,
where little air can be found.
The stock which has been exposed to
the infection of black leg, whether from
sick animals OF infected pastures or
places, may attain some measure of pro-
lection from taking daily in the food or
water some disinfectant which will check
the development of any germs that may
be present on the mouth, throat. stomach
or bowels. For this purpose che drachm
carboic acid and three drachms sulphate
iron may be dissolved daily in the drink
ing water of each adult animal, or
sprinkled on its food. Or one drachm
of iodide of potassium and one-half
ounce chlorate of potassa may be used
in the same way. If there is any tend
ency to costiveness it should be counter
acted by roots, apples, potatoes, soft
mashes, or by daily doses of two or
three ounces of Glauber salts. Consti-
patton usually begets fever, and fever
strongly predisposes to the reception of
the anthrax germ. Young animals are
always most liable to the disease, partly
because their tissues are soft and i'm
pressible, but largely no doubt because
they have not had an opportunity to be-
come insusceptible through an earlier
mild attack. Young growing animals
should therefore be Kept apart from pas
lures where black leg habitually occurs,
and if they must at any time be exposed
to even the slightest extent, care should
be taken to keep them in the most Wig
orous health, and to prevent them from
becoming suddenly plethoric.
To prevent the evil effect of rapidly
increasing plethora it is desirable to feed
well at all times, and never allow the
subject to get into too low condition.
The use in this connection of linseed
cake has the double effect of keeping the
beast constantly thriving and counter
acting all costiveness and fever. Some
seek the same result by giving yearling
cattle weekly or semi-weekly doses of
half an ounce of saltpetre, or of two
ounces of Glauber salts; while still
others insert tapes or strips of leather or
cord through the skin of the dewlap and
smear them frequently with crude tur-
pentine (pine gum or other irritants, so
as to keep up running sore. These
are kept il for weeks and even months,
and though not an absolute protection
against the disease, yet they serve to ma
terialiy reduce the mortality. Cattle
strange to the pasture should be sub
jected to the same precaution as young
growing cattle. After is has once set in,
black leg runs such a rapid course that
treatment is rarely of any avail. In
mild cases the use of carbol;c acid and
sulphate of iron, alternately with chlorate
of potassa and iodide of potassium, as
advised above, for prevention, and to
the swelling oil of turpentine, or car
bolic acid OF Zone to ten) may give good