The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1920-08-19
(By w. j. Butler, State Veterinary
Surgeon.)

Blackleg is an acute infectios, but
not contagious, disease of cattle and,
exceptionally, other ruminants and
swine, although 1 have never known
of any but cattle to be affected in
Montana. 1t is caused by an anaera-
beic bacillus.
By infectious, but not contagious"
we mean that the disease may be
Transmitted by the infection gaining
entrance into the animals system, in
this particular instance by. abrasions
in the skin, but that the animal will
not become diseased by simply com
ing in contact with an animal which
has blackleg.
By an "anaerabeic bacillus we
mean a minute vegetable micro-org-
anism which will live without the.
presence of oxygen. Thus this par
ticular micro-organism may live in
the ground for years, hence the ex-
IRENE difficulty of destroying the in
lection where this disease exists.
Blackleg is characterized by high
fever, crepitant swellings in the NUS
cular regions of the body which de-
velop usually on the hind quarters
OF in the vicinity of the shoulders.
The crepitant swellings are due to
the formation of gas under the skin.
Becomes Black.
The affected part becomes black,
the swellings are painful, hot and
may become extensive. The swell
ings later become cold and painless
in the center and the skin dry and
parchment-like. When the swelling
is lanced a frothy dark red fluid is
discharged, but swellings should not
be lanced as such a procedure will
not save the animal and will simply
tend to spread the disease by infect
ing the ground.
Cattle over eighteen months of
age are very seldom affected. In
Montana it has been our observation
many books state that young suck
ing calves have a certain immunity.
Both sexes are equally susceptible
md all breeds are likewise suscepti-
lie, although fine bred tender |
kined animals are more liable to !
,ecome infected. Likewise, animals {
rapidly in flesh OF animals l
Osing rapidly in flesh are sus- 9
eptible. For this reason most writ I
rs state that the spring and fall I
eem to be the seasons most favor 0
BILE for the development of this dis \
ase, but u observations in Mon |
ana tend to show that the disease |
nay break out during any period of d
he year. The disease is considered S
o be more prevalent in swampy areas D
han on uplands. Our observations c
yould indicate that the disease be- d
ONES more prevalent in herds after
hard winter when the snow is crust q
d and especially when the animals II
re permitted to run around in mud "
oles or swampy areas, and especial tf
at the time that these mud holes
swampy areas dry up.
Disease Is Fatal s,
The disease is fatal and very rapid. OF
# times, under range conditions, fl
first indication that we have of q
e presence of the disease is the =,
1ding of a dead animal with indica- 20
)ns of crepitant swellings and a -
othy blood discharge from the nose 10
mouth. Death generally takes
ace in from IL to SO hours after
e first appearance of the symptoms. n
There is no specific cure for this PC
sease but there is a specific pre- 70
ntion, and that is blackleg vaccine. u
ackleg vaccine may be obtained -
om almost any drug store or it may n
obtained free of charge in the IV
WIDER form, from the bureau of ami
IL industry, Washington, D. c., or
application to the state veterinary
rgeon, Helena, Montana.
The practice of introducing copper
or garlic under the skin or by
owing" or the use of setons should
discontinued as such practices
absolutely no preventative eff no
It's. They are all based on the as
that an animal gaining Pc
sh is more susceptible. By rowl- tia
, or the use of setons the animal hel
prevented from gaining in flesh. mo
nv snhiact the animal TO this crn- -