THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT
MABCH 14, 1007.
la
STOCK
LIVE
Blackleg
The disease commonly known as
blackleg In this country is identical
with the quarter-evil or black-quarter
In England, charbon symptomatique
(symptomatic anthrax) in France, and
rausch brand in Germany. The fact
that it is sometimes called sympto
matic anthrax is liable to lead to its
confusion with anthrax, but it should
be remembered that these are two to
tally distinct diseases arising from dif
ferent causes, exhibiting -different
symptoms and requiring different
treatment.
Blackleg most frequently attacks
cattle, rarely ,other species, man,
horsea, swine, dogs, cats, and fowls
appearing to be immune or proof
against it Sheep and goats are sus-
etgss- $P
p "Mill ..
I
I
mil.
BLACKLEG SYRINGE.
ceptible, though the writer has heard
of but one outbreak in this state among
sheep. As to susceptibility among cat
tle, age plays an important part, in
asmuch as the disease is known to ex
ist more commonly among cattle be
tween six months and one an one-half
months and cattle over two years old
are seldom attacked, though the dis
ease has been observed in very young
calves and adult cattle. This condition
may be accounted for as follows: It
has been proved experimentally by ar
tificial inoculation that young calves
are less susceptible naturally, and be
sides, while they are being fed on
milk they are not exposed to the germs
as is the case the moment they are
turned into an infected pasture.
Cause: The organism of blackleg is
a bacillus, exceedingly small, measur
ing one twenty-thousandth (1-20,000) of
an inch in length. As stated above,
these rmall bacilli may, in same way,
get imo i no system nt tne animal ana
produce tho disease. T-Jie usual mode
by which the animal Iwcor'H Inocu-l.tU-t'
or, infected is throus.; wound
of tlie skin or mucous, membrane.
Wounds of the nkin, or external
wound, tn.xy lx caused by barbed
wiro fences, stubble, and the like.
Wound of tho mucous iiR-iubranes, or
internal wounds, may be cau.HHl by
cattle, partaking of foreign substance
that ure liable to scratch the mucous
lining of tb alimentary canal, and
Ki'.t lbwrvi's that Infection may tako
pluro through wout.d r;utwd by cat
tl.i flu-tiding Iht-lr teeth. The carcity
of Internal wounds, compared with ex
trml ones may "xwlbly account for
the ft that It in almost lmiwllo
to it.fect animals eiH-rimcntuIiy by
way of h altinrntary canal, wvett
wbHi the Individual wlertwl for the
eiprinnt li vry utw MlMe. How
ever, till Ninin vlrtw, when upplUd to
an abnuilon of tho nkln, would ftlmont
Invariably prw.lu tho dWaiui In
ucrp title animal. Hence, It U rtmer
believed Uwu cat tie beauate te-
fected through skin wounds more of
ten than by any other method.
After these blackleg germs'enter the
animal system, they find lodgment and
at once begin to multiply in vast num
ber, producing the blackleg disease
generally within two days from the
time they enter the (system. By the
process of reproducing in this way,
they generate a gas, which collects
beneath the skin, where the so-called
blackleg tumor is found. It is this gas
that causes the crackling sound when
tho hand is rubbed over such a tu
mor. .Symptoms: The symptoms of black
leg are very characteristic and for
that reason the disease can be easily
recognized. One 'of the first indications
of the disease that may be observed
is lameness in any one of the four
limbs, or a general stiffness of the
gait. The animal appears dull, and if
the temperature be taken at this time
it will bo found above the normal.
Very soon rumination ceases, the ap
petite is lost, and there is a marked
depression in the actions of the affect
ed animal. Usually a swelling appears
either on the" lame leg or some, other
part of the body, but never below the
hock or knee joint. At first this swell
ing is very sensitive, but otherwise
presents no special characteristics.
-,oon, however, gas collects at this
point, as previously . mentioned, and
then the tumor presents the character
istics described above. At this point
the tumor loses its sensitiveness and
may be cut without producing any
pain to the animal. The fluid that
escapes from the incision is a frothy,
dark-red exudate, having the odor of
rancid butter. It may happen that a
fatal case occurs without the develop
ment of the characteristic tumor,
though such cases are rare. The. usual
length or duration of the disease is
from a few hours to a day, or some
times longer.
Post mortem appearances : On ac
count of the ease with which blackleg
may be distinguished by the ante
mortem appearances, and on account
of the necessary scattering of infec
tion resulting from tho holding" of an
autopsy, little space will be given the
topic of post-mortem appearances, ex
cept to enable. the farmer to distin
guish between the disease in question
and anthrax. The following characters
generally suffice to distinguish the
two: In blackleg the tumor contains"
gas, while that of anthrax is solid.
The muscles involved in a blackleg tu
mor have a peculiar odor resembling
very much that of rancid butter, which
is never the case with the anthrax
tumor. In blackleg" the blood forms a
firm clot, while in anthrax the clot is
absent. The spleen is normal in black
leg, while In anthrax it is considerably
enlarged, and possessed of the proper
ty of gravitation, that Is, if the spleen
be suspended by one end, the contents
will flow to the lower end like fluid in
a bag.
Treatment: It is admitted by all who
are experienced in this line that there
is no agent known that will cure
blackleg. Some medicines seem to have
been used with success in a few cases
but so soon as they were given a thor
ough trial It was found that they were
of no avail. In the western part of
Nebraska the stockmen often make
deep-seated incisions into the tumor
and apply strong caustics or disinfect
ants to the wounds thus produced, but
it is stated by men who have tried this
treatment that it is of little or no
value. And even if it were of some
value, It should be practiced with tho
utmost care, if at all, as the fluid
which must necessarily escape from
the open wound would Infect the soil
wherever it happened to drop.
Preventive treatment: The blackleg
vaccine, as prepared by the bureau of
animal industry consists of a brownish
powder, which is put up in packets
containing either ten or twenty-rive
doses each. To prepare this powder in
such a way that it may be injected
hypodermicaily, it is "necessary to ob
tain certain implements; which, to
gether with tho hypodermic syringe,
are known as a vaccinating outfit:
This consists of a porcelain mortar
with pestle, a small glass funnel, and
a measuring glass. For filtering the r
vaccine, we have found absorbent cot
ton to be most suitable. Figure 1 is an
illustration of the vaccinating outfit
recommended by the bureau. . .
Animals to be vaccinated : Calves, as
a rule, should not be vaccinated until
they are six months old. Under this
age they are practically immune from
blackleg, and it has been claimed that
when vaccinated before they are six
months old they are liable to lose the
artificial immunity induced by means
of vaccination and become susceptible
again. Animals more than two years
old are seldom affected, and the mor
tality among them is so small as to
make vaccination unprofitable. It is
the animals between six months and
two years old which should be vaccin
ated. Vaccination has no ill effect on
calves under six months old, but it
should be a rule that when very young
animals are vaccinated they should be
revaccinated before the beginning of
the following, blackleg,-season.
The time to vaccinate depends large
ly upon circumstances. In nearly every
part of the country whore -blackleg is
known there is a disti net blackleg sea
son, and tho proper time to vaccinate
is Just before tho arrival of this sea
son. Every practical ranchman and
farmer, as a rule, knows when to. look
for blackleg, and as the disease may
appear a little sooner or later, accord
ing to climatic conditions, it is always
better to vaccinate two or three weeks
before the beginning of the blackleg
season.. In some parts of the country
it Is not unusual that the calves com
mence dying when only four months
old, while in others they seldom be
come affected until they are eight
months old. It is, therefore, much a
matter of Judgment when to vaccinate
and what should constitute the mini
mum age at which the calves should
be treated. A. T. PETERS.
$5,000
Reward -
iVVill be paid to any person
who can find one atom of
opium, chloral, morphine,
cocaine, ether, chloroform,
.heroin, alpha and beta eu
eaine, cannabis indicat or
chloral hydrate or any of
their -derivatives, in any
of Dr. Miles V Remedies.
This applies togoods in
original packages, unop
ened, and not tampered
with. Certain unscrupu
lous persons are making '
false statements about
these remedies.
"I have been troubled with a ter
rible headache for the last ten years: "
the doctor couid do me no kuuu, I .
saw Dr. Allien' Anti-Pain PillSTTRrver
tised in the Sunday magazine, so I
thought I would try a sample. I did
so, and they helped me wonderfully.
I had headache so badly I could hard
ly nee to work, so I sent to the drug
store and got a box. In a couple of
hours I was all rijht, it was the first
medicine to do me. any rood."
A. A. ILUQ, Philadelphia, Pa.
6362 Tacoma Street.
Dr. Mites Antl-Paln Pills are sold by
your druggist, who will guarantee that
the first package will benefit. If it
falls, he will return your money.
25 doses, 25 cents. Never sold In bulk.
Miles Medical Co., Elkhart, Ind
wrote and said he had found a spider
in his paper. Was this good or bad
luck? I replied to him in our 'An-
7 9 U
......
VACCINATING CHUTE.
SOME STRAY HUMOR.
nsn were not Dicing very live
ly that morning as they sat "un
der a shady tree on the bank, and they
turned to conversation.
"What," asked the man who - was
deeply interested in his country's wel
fare, "what do you consider the most
important question before us today?
"Well," replied the man who was
perfectly willing to allow politicians
to run the country, "Just at this mo
ment the rebate question is by far the
most important," and he turned the
Jug upside down to show it was
empty.
"It pays to advertise," said Mark
Twain, at an advertisement writers'
banquet.
"When. I was editing the Virginia
City Enterprise, writing copy one day
and mining the next, I tried to force
this truth home In many ways.
"A superstitious subscriber once
ill Tfeab c
Mi m 'Mm ML k
swers to . Correspondents' column as
follows: ' , ;. ,
spider in your copy of the Enterprise
was neither good luck or bad. The
spider was merely looking over our
pages to find out what merchant was
not advertising, so that it could' snin
Wts web across his door, and lead a
iree ana undisturbed existence' forever.,
after.' "
The letter "f on the typewriter of
a well known novelist recently went
wrong. The author was equal to the
occasion, as will be" seen from the fol
lowing portion of his MSS.:
"Phairest oph the phalrslgher he?
lover, "pbancy my pheeling when I
phoresee the phearphul consequences
oph our phleeing phrom your phather
phamlly. Phew phellows could hav
phaced' the music with as much
phortitude as I have, and as phickle
phortune phalls to smile on our love
I must phorego the pleasure oph be
coming your husband. Phairest
Fhrances, pharewcll phoreverl"
"Hold, Pbranklin, hold!" screamed
Phrances; "I will phollow you phor
everl" But Phranklin had phled, and
Phrances pbalnted.
Delineator:
aloof from
Many fathers stand
tho common domestic
CLACKLCa OUTTT5.
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tmt II ami It run li. h
I tor pttct Utm ? IbkM
and ODAYSTBIAL
a4 f YKAJtSC CtUAMANTV
fzxo ru rrxt tsx.
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