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diseases that are liable at any time to be introduced, will show the wisdom of increasing the funds at the disposal of the Board to such an extent as the great live stock industry of our state deserves.

On the following pages will be found general outlines of the work accomplished by the Board toward the control and extirpation of the various dangerous contagious and infectious diseases of domestic animals. For the more important diseases maps have been prepared to show the extent of their prevalence as far as they have come under the observation, or to the knowledge, of the board. For the sake of convenience in referring to them, they have been arranged alphabetically, irrespective of their importance, or of their occurrence in different species of animals.

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Map showing only point in Ohio (Summit County) where Anthrax in Horses and Cattle is known to have occurred. (August 1903).

Several reports of outbreaks of anthrax were received during the year, but investigation by the Veterinarian proved all of them to be unfounded. For more than a year not a single case of anthrax has come to the notice of the Board. The importance of a knowledge of the distribution of the disease and of the localities in which it is most likely to reappear, make it seem advisable to repeat what was said on this subject in the last annual report.

"During the past year (1903) the appearance of true anthrax has for the first time been observed in the state. This is true at least

in as far as any accessible records are concerned. Anthrax is one of the most dangerous of all known diseases. It affects all domesticated, and most wild, animals, as well as human beings, and generally terminates fatally. These facts alone emphasize the importance of a careful control of this disease.

"It seems that Ohio has been peculiarly fortunate in thus far having been free from anthrax. However, this is probably true in a restricted sense only. Anthrax is found in all parts of the world and very few countries are free from it. Nothing definite can be said of its distribution in the United States, but the following, quoted from the report of the Bureau of Animal Industry of the United States Department of Agriculture (1901), will be of interest: 'Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas have lost millions of dollars worth of horses, mules, cattle, and other animals, and an undetermined number of human beings from this disease (anthrax). Other states, among them Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, Wisconsin, and the Dakotas, have suffered to a greater or less extent, etc.'

"The following is from the same report: 'There are certain regons where the disease seems to be indigenous, as on the alluvial soils of portions of the southern part of the Mississippi Valley, where it apparently develops when the conditions of the soil and climate are favorable. There are, however, other outbreaks which occur as a result of importing the contagion with hides, hair, wool, etc.'

"The origin of the disease in Ohio has not yet been determined and possibly never will be. It is probable, however, that there exist in this state certain areas of infection, especially in the less improved (undrained) portions of the country, and that the disease may crop out again and again in restricted areas. The duty of the state would be to make careful observations, with a view to locating these dangerous areas and then guarding them carefully. In 1902 a herd of cattle that had been exposed to this disease in Kentucky, was held in quarantine in Columbus, but none of the animals developed the disease. They were finally slaughtered.

"The outbreak of anthrax in 1903 occurred on the farm of John Henry, near Hudson, Ohio. On August 12th, Mr. Henry called on Dr. Fischer, who was at that time continuing the investigation of glanders among the horses of Lorain. Mr. Henry reported the loss of one horse and six cattle (five steers and one cow), from a disease that was suspected to be anthrax.

"The statement of the owner, however, that his cattle had been in a cornfield on the night before the death of the first steer, and had helped themselves liberally to green corn, made it appear possible that the latter might have been the cause of the deaths. For this reason, Mr. Henry was advised to procure the services of Dr. C. B. Frederick, of Canton, to make a preliminary examination and report results.

46-O. S. B. of A.

"On the 13th (the next day) Dr. Frederick went to Hudson and visited Mr. Henry's farm. He reported three steers sick with symptoms that resembled those of anthrax. He removed some blood from the jugular vein of one of these animals and submitted it to Dr. Geo. F. Zinninger, a physician of Canton, for microscopic examination. Dr. Zinninger reported that cover-glass preparations from the blood thus obtained, and that cultures from the same blood, showed the presence of anthrax bacilli. One of the cultures prepared by Dr. Zinninger was turned over to the Veterinarian of the Board, and with this a Belgian hare was inoculated. Death resulted from anthrax on the third day. A microscopic examination of the blood of this hare and the cultures of anthrax bacilli that were obtained from its blood clinched the diagnosis.

"As soon as the diagnosis 'anthrax' had been made, the necessary steps for controlling the disease were taken. The owner was instructed to remove the remaining animals from the pasture in which the disease appeared and to isolate them in a safe place. This was done, but not before two more steers became affected with the disease. None of these died, however.

"It was proposed to protect the remainder of the herd by inoculating the animals with a weakened culture of the anthrax bacillus, according to the method first employed by Toussaint and later improved by Pasteur. On account of the difficulty experienced in obtaining this material, some time elapsed before the inoculations. could be performed, and no more deaths having occurred in the herd in the meantime, the owner preferred not to have anything further done, and the matter was permitted to rest for the time being. It is now proposed to observe this and adjoining farms carefully and at the first indication of further outbreaks resort to effective repressive measures immediately."

It is now fifteen months since the last appearance of the disease has been observed by the Board.

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Actinomycosis: Map showing counties from which the disease
(Lump Jaw). has been reported during the past year.

As shown by the above map, actinomycosis (big jaw, lump jaw) occurs in almost all parts of the state, although to a limited extent only. The fact that an effective remedy has been found to treat this disease, in its early stages, makes it of less importance, from a "sanitary police" point of view, than formerly. Actinomycosis occurs in human beings, but the danger of direct infection from affected animals, if it occurs at all, must be very slight.

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