The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-04-14

setOning, roweling, nerving, bleeding, the
running of animals, etc.
1t is a fact that, in some instances, the
use Of these remedies is followed by de-
crease in the number Of deaths and some
times animals stop dying altogether, as
if by magic. But these are single obser-
vations and they prove absolutely moth
ing. We can find just as many similar in
stances where no treatment whatever IS
followd.
We know that thrifty calves are more
likely to be attacked with blackleg than
unthrifty ones. and that, once attacked,
the former seem TO have the least chance
Of recovery. II has, therefore, been sug-
gested to observe care not 10 let animals
get too thrifty; this is easily done, either
by resorting to the time-hOnOred but now
slightly out of date practice of bleeding.
or by giving purgatives, or by actual star
walton. If any one sees economy or profit
in this procedure he is advised to follow
it.
We believe in prevention. The cause of
blackIeg in calves is two-fOld; first, nat
ural susceptibility of the animal to ac-
quire the disease; and second, the black
leg bacillus, a microscopic vegetable para
site belonging to the bacteria, the ex-
citors Of most of the common infectious
diseases.
Blackleg IS caused by the blackIeg ba-
cillus and by no other germ. On the other
hand, the blackleg bacillus causes black
leg and no other disease BY controlling
this bacillus we would have one solution
of the question of prevention.
Blackleg is a wound infection disease,
l. e., ii is produced by infection through
wound, by the entrance of the blackleg
bacillus through wound into the body
Ia in, +ba Glri
or in the mucous membrane of the di-
gestive tract (mouth stomach, intestine)
BlackIeg bacilH are found in two places
in the bodies Of dead or diseased black
leg victims and in certain low damp
soils, usually bottom lands. In both
places these germs grow and multiply.
Infected soil, or food plants grown on
such soil. serve as means to carry the
germs into the animals tissues. Wounds
or bruises in the animals skin or diges-
tive membranes, be they ever so slight.
serve as ports Of entrance for the ba-
cillus The hoofs of animals and their
coats of hair, even their droppings, care
lessness in attendants, serve to carry the
germs from place to place.
These statements point out two possible
methods of prevention:
% Changing animals from infected
fields Casually low places with rich soil)
to non-infected grounds (high, dry places.
We can further prevent the spread Of
the disease by burning the dead bodies
of animals that died of blackleg, avoiding
the practice of burying such carcasses,
which amounts practically to planting the
disease germs for future harvests.
% The disease can, in a measure, be
prevented by proper feeding. Feeding di-
gestible grasses and root crops. avoiding
rough cornstalks and other coarse, hard
foods which can produce small internal
or external wounds or abrasions and thus
provide port of entrance for the dis
ease germ. The germ always enters The
body through a wound. Sucking calves
do not have these opportunities for wound
ing their delicate mucous membranes and
il is a well-known fact that they are
rarely afflicted with this disease. How
ever, this is not the only explanation for
that fact.
SO much for prevention by garding
against an invasion by the backleg ba-
cillus
In the next bulletin we will discuss sus-
ceptibility.