The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-13
Measures Against BIacklep.

A report of the Bureau of Animal In
dustry says: When it is known that
blackleg occurs with more or less reg
ularlty in pasture, feed lot, OF stable
1T is due to the presence of the black
leg germ, either in the ground of these
places OR in materials Coarse feed,
etc.) brought there regularly When
ever an animal becomes affected, the
germs multiply by the million in it's
system, and their liberation, through
natural or artificial means, tends to
preserve, increase, or spread the infec-
tlon. In the large pastures of the West
and Southwest an affected animal is
rarely noticed until after death, when
the sWarms Of buzzards or other birds
OF prey indicate that there is Some
tnlng Dead" and an investigation is
made. 1t is then frequently too late
10 attempt to prevent the spread of in
1ectlon, for wolves and other vermin
usually attack the carcass in short Or
uer, without even waiting for the ami
mai to die, and only the bones and
pieces OF the hide are found scattered
over an acre or more of ground.
In more densely populated districts.
where sick animal is readily dscov-
cred, there is often an inclination to
doctor" the animal, usually by means
OF Jackknife, and the result is the
same as in the other case-the infec-
ton is scattered broadcast from in
clsions made in the affected part
In some districts the cattle that die
from blackleg are skinned in order at
least to save the hide and the re-
naming parts Of the carcass are left
to take care of themselves. This pro-
cess naturally assists in scattering the
infection. 1t is therefore Of the utmost
Importance that cattle owners in the in
1scted districts be made to realize that
an animal affected with blackleg may
be the cause Of large subsequent losses
from the same disease, maybe not i'm
medlately, but within a period of years
to follow, and it can not be recon-
mended too urgently that they make
every effort to reduce the danger by
taking adequate measures to destroy
the germs and remove the danger
of renewed infection.
For this purpose the French scien-
tls.s recommend various methods,
some of which, however, are imprac-
tlcable under the conditions which OBJ
tain in the infected districts of this
country. They propose, for instance
to place the dead animals in tank
of sulphuric acid until completely dis
solved. Where wood Is plentiful the
best method is to cremate the carcass.
In order to insure it's complete destruc-
ton, the dead animal should be placed
on a couple of logs and plenty of dry
wood heaped around it. A couple OF
quarts Of kerosene oil should then be
poured on and fire set to it. 1t is nee
essary that the carcass be entirely de-
stroyed; if any part of it remains, an
other fire should be built over it.
| In pasture where wood is scarce
the carcass may be buried. This meth
cd is always more or less unsatisfac-
tory, as the infection is not destroyed
but merely removed to a few feet be-
low the surface, whence it may return
| through various means of egress-fo1
| 80
instance, as demonstrated by Pasteur
through the agency of the earthworms
! 1t is therefore of Importance that the
hole in the ground be made at least G
feet deep and the carcass we'll covered
with lime before the earth is filled in.
The lime has no special germicidal eff
feet on the blackleg bacillus but may
present the infection from being CAR
ried to the surface. The place where
the animal was lying before being bur
led, as well as the top of the grave,
should be freely sprinkled with a 2 per
cent solution of creolin, or any of the
carbolic sheep dips or disinfectants
which are guaranteed to contain thy
mol or eucalyptol. The two latter sub
stances are especially recommended by
the French scientists because of their
destructive action on the blackleg
germs.