St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-07-01
Preventing Charlton.

Preventing Charlton.
DR.. Sidney L. Theard, sanitary
officer OF the city board Of health,
in speaking Of the disease known as
cbarbon, mentioned some features
Of its cause and development, which
will be found OF interest to both the
medical profession and the laity.
He gave the Picayune the following
concise statement:
Charlton Is a germ disease. The
infections micro organism is the
bacillus anthracis, or anthrax ba-
bacillus. Infection may occu- equal
| w from incubation with the bacillus
| or with its spores. Not only bio
logically. but from a hygienic and
sanitary point Of view. the greater
tenacity Of life Of the Spores as
compared to tie bacilli, is an inter-
esting and important fact. The
bacilli only a endure few weeks {;
the spores may retain their vitality
for years.
The spores originate from the
bacilll, and, under favorable cir
cumstances Cheat moisture). they
reproduce. even after years, the
bacillus. They serve the same pur-
pose in tie preservation OF species
as the seeds of higher plants. They
are much like the reproductive sub
stance OF a fuwerless plant.
Both spore formation and spore
termination are most interesting
points Of study in biology and
bacteriology.
Infection may take place in three
ways: Through the skin. through
the intestinal mucous membrane
and through the respiratory organs.
When the infectious agent is inhaled
or swallowed it may reach the cir
culaliou through healthy (norEai)
tissues. For infection to occur
through the skin there must be some
scratch, some abrasion, or an insect
bite. the unhroken skin affording
ample protectlon.
In the case Of animals. the dis
ease, according to Pasteur. is
spread habitually by terminating
spores which have become attached
to plants and grass. and are taken
with the animals food. Herbivora,
therefore, are especially snscepti-
BILE to developing the disease. horned
cattle, sheep and horses most so.
OmnivOra are less susceptible,
and carnivora least.
Flies which have been in contact
with diseased animals, and whose
probosces and feet are infected may
convex the disease. Earth worms
may carry the poison from the
buried carcase, aud infect the vege
tation above.
In man infection is labitually by
way of the broken skin. less fire.
quently through the health mu-
nunous membrane, and least by way
Of the respiratory organs. The To-
cal external affection is spoken OF
as malignant pustule.
Direct incubation is usually from
the carcass, very. very rarely from
the living animal. Hence, greater
danger 70 butchers and slaughter
ers than, say. to livery stable men
or dairy men. Indirect contagion
may also occur in those who
handle the products Of dead
animals (hides, horsehair, wool,
etc, } notably wool packers and
sorters, terriers and tanners.
All parts of the bodies Of animals
dying from Charlton are actively
poisonous. With this knowledge,
cremation of the dead body becomes
imperative.
Charlton in animals consumes
one OF three forms: Usually this
is a general blood poisoning
withot any external swelling; &C.
casionally there is in addition
severe glandnlar swelling and
infiltrstion around the seat of inocn-
latiOn usually about the mouth and
pharvDx; least frequently the disease
hegins by local carbuncular SWELL
ing. The spleen ie usually very large
in the common variety, when the
name ''splenic fever" by whence
the disease is sometimes designated.
incubation of healthy cattle and
horses with the eerum OF an inn
munlzed animal IS absolute safe
guard against charbon.