The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-07-23

yiding, and so on, indefinitely. Outside
of the body, however, when under con
ditons unfavorable to growth, they null
tipy in different way. Small, round
bodies appear within the rods called
spores (seed germs), which remain alive
after years of drying They also resist
extremes of heat, so that boiling water
is necessary to destroy them. The bacilli
themselves, on the other hand, show on
ly very little resistance to heat and dry
ing.
for years and then produce outbreaks
of the disease They may be carried to
the land on skin scrapes which are used
as fertilizers Weather, rainfall and
temperature in particular govern the
source of the cOntagion. Heavy rains
may wash the seed into the ground as
deep as the water goes, but of course as
long as they remain there they are harm
less. Now, during dry weather the
water is drawn up through good soil from
a very considerable depth, evaporated and
deposits on its surface whatever it has
brought up in it. Or, during light rains,
after dry spell. earthworms in seeking
moisture, may bring the spores to the
surface from the same depths. This
places the seed in suitable soil and tenn
perature to sprout and multiply at once;
or they may find their way into the ami
nal body still in the form of seed there
in may terminate, and dcvelope an cpl
demic This explains why a long drought
followed by light rains is characteristic
of anthrax weather.
The first discovery of the specific virus
of anthrax was made by Davaine in 1851.
But it WIS left to NJ. Pasteur, the great
French scientist, who, in 1877. defined
the exact nature of the bacillus, the
manner of its production and its exact
relationship to anthrax as the real cause
| of the disease.
The anthrax bacilli may be introduced
into the body in three different ways:
Either through the mouth and alimenta-
ry canal, through the respiratory organs,
or through the skin. When the infection
takes place through the skin, it is usually
introduced by the sting of some insect,
especially the large horse fly. This fly
carries the poison from the carcasses of
| the animals which have died of the dis
ease and simply inoculates it into the
skin of live animals. The germs may
also be INTRODUCED into the system by com
ing in contact with a wound or abrasion
/ of the skin or mucous membrane. When
| it affects the digestive organs the germs
| of the disease are usually taken into the
body with the food or water.
Symptoms-The symptoms, as a gcner-
al thing. are suddenly developed and very
| alarming in character. An animal may
| be left at night apparently in a state of
perfect health and found the next morn
ing dead. Mich cows have been MIXED
in the morning and found dead at noon.
Horses and mules will succumb to the
terrible disease while working in the
field. Pigs eating at the trough have
been known to step back. turn around,
squeal, tumble down and die in less than
minute. This may properly be called
the apOplectic form of the disease,and the
most thrifty animals in the flock or heard
may become victims of the disease. con-
tracing it usually in its most acute and
malignant form, while the poorer ami
mails may escape, entirely or take It IN
mild form. As this form is so suddenly
developed, death takes place before any
symptoms are noticed. But in other forms
it runs somewhat longer course. The
symptoms are different in different ami
mails and may differ in the same class
of animals.
As has been stated before, the disease
germs MAY gain access into the animal
in several ways, viz: on the feed or in the
water. thus gaining access into the ali
mentary canal; through the air, passing
into the lungs; and ny incubation into
an abrasion of the skin or mucous mem
brane, by coming in contact with dis
eased animals or infected pastures, prem
ises, etc.
When the infection takes place through
the skin hard, warm, painful swelling.
with well defined margins. forms under
the skin and spreads rapidly over the
surface. The infection is usually accom-
panied by fever, loss of appetite and
quickened respiration (breathing).
The swelling becomes cold and pain
less after few days and may either
be absorbed or the disease spread to the
internal organs and prove fatal to the
animal.
But when the disease gains access
through the alimentary canal or through
the lungs there is very high fever.
small rapid pulse the visible mucous
membranes of blush red color and in
some cases symptoms of congestion of
the brain: also of collie and diarrhoea
often mixed with blood. Chills and
muscular tremorS may appear. and the
skin show uneven temperature. Inc
animal becomes dull and stupid, the
coat staring. and manifests great weak
ness. There is also loss of appetite, Ia
bored respiration and the region of the
throat may become swollen to such an
extent that the breathing becomes roar
ing and may be followed by sutfocation.
The disease usually lasts from few
hours to two or three days. Recovery is
very rare An examination of the blood
shows Il dark fluid which is not eliot and
which remains hlack AFTER exposure W
air. After death the bodies purify very
rapidly and bloat: the tissues are filled
with gasscs and II bloody foam eNudes
from the mouth. nostrils. etc. The
spleen becomes enlarged from two to
| five times its natural size and the pulp is
backish and sole. The liver has a
cooked appearance and the kidneys are
congcsted and also soft
| Trcatment-Whcna an animal becomes
affected with charlton it almost invaria-
bly, dies. as there has been no reliable
treatm discovered as yet Nearly
every drug in the pharmacopoeia has been
tried with negative results. There Is
only one form of the disease in which
treatment is of any avail, and that is the
form in which the disease germs gain
access through an external wound or
abrasion of the skin. In such cases the
swelling should be opened freely by long
missions with sharp lance and the
wound dressed several times Il day with
strong antiseptc solutions.
No matter whether treatment is adopt
ed or not. Il few of the affected animals
may recover. but recoveres are rare.
Pasteur in 1881. very fortunately dis
covered Il protective vaccine, which mas
been thoroughly proven to be Il sure pre-
tentative against the disease 1t Is
we'll known how human beings are pro,
tected from smallpox by vaccination. All
domestic animals can i'll the same way
tL-.N