The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1901-09-13

most cases Of anthrax are found where
cattle have been so exposed to the rod
like. microscopic organism to which
the disease lis due. The bacillus" as
1T is called, is found in such places. It
either originates there or is brought
there by water coming from q place
where dead anthrax animal has been
cast. For the latter reason 1T should
De made misdemean0r punishable by
Adne or Imprisonment for anyone to
throw a dead animal into a running
stream or drinking .place. In Iowa a
bad outbreak Of the disease was traced
at once to pond into which q dead
anthrax animal had been cast and at
which a large herd of cattle took
drinking water daily. The disease
properly called anthrax occurs in diff
'ferent forms. In some cases there are
d1huse sswellings seen about the head
and neck and when pressed these
.swellings are found to be solid and do
not:contain gas. On cutting into them
there is found a yellowish, jelly-like
mass, more or less stained with blood.
In, other cases the,animal dies almost
Immediately from a form of apoplexy
and discharges stained with blood
come away from the natural orifces Of
the body. The body bloats and decom-
poses at once. This form is not so
common as the other. In a third form
the disease is subacute and the victim
may live for five ito seven days. In
the form characterized by external
swellings the animal dies in from one
toi two days. In man the disease usu-
ally takes the form Of malignant pus-
tule" or carbuncle and Is contracted
skin when a person skins an animal
dead of anthrax. The disease may also
be carried in the same form to man by
insects and 1t is probable that flies are
the means, Of spreading the disease to
other animals when dead bodies are
left to decompose in the open air. In
this way 'anthax may be spread to
largely immune from the disease.
From what has been said it will be
seen that 1t is very important to de-
stroy the carcase of an anthrax victim
so, that the disease may not be spread
by this means. The best way to get
rid Of the carcase is,to totally destroy
1t by fire, but IL this cannot be done
it should be buried deeply in quick
lime. It is not enough to bury it deep
ly, for Darwin has shown that earth
worms may, bring the spores of the dis
ease to the surface. where they may be
taken into the systems Of cattle pas
turing over the graves and again
cause the disease. When an aanthrax
victim is opened the~spleen Is always
found to beygreatly enlarged and filled
with tar-like matter; the blood is dark
and does not coagulate: the mucous
membranes Of: the chest and abdominal
cavities are. covered with dark red
spots and blood stained, discharges Is
sue from the natural orifices .of the
body. When IAN animal Is attacked
awith.black leg. the. ,disease IL character
ized by external ellings, which are
found ito be silled with gas, which.
snakes the swellings give, out q crack,
Hing sound hanthandled. After! death
the sspleen is found to ,be unchanged
and thel blood caagulates and turns red
onsexp0sure totthe air. .Blackleg does
mot ATTACK animals other than young
cattle. Cattle ,uaay be safely inocu-
Hated sagainst blaekleg and with some
degree ofssuccess, against santhrax. In
,Nases ofsan outbreak Of anthrax cattle,
Nh tSoSS n,