Anniversary address by the president T. P. Anderson Stuart.

  • Anderson Stuart, Thomas Peter, 1856-1920.
Date:
[1894]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Anniversary address by the president T. P. Anderson Stuart. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    at least two hundred thousand sheep will be inoculated during the ensuing season. These splendid results are of the highest importance, for the loss sustained in the infected districts has hitherto been tremendous. Hereafter, according to these results, it need be no more than insignificant. But, further than that, we may in this way hope to very greatly diminish, if not eradicate, the disease, even should at some future time the inoculations be discontinued, for one of the most important circumstances keeping it persistently in a district is allowing the dead animals to rot where they die. The ground near the carcass becomes saturated with the organisms, and in the soil these have been proved to live for many years. This, of course, could be met by burning the dead bodies, and that should invariably be done where it can be done. Unfortunately in these colonies it is rarely possible. If, then, by inoculation the deaths from anthrax are either entirely prevented or very greatly limited, it is clear that the absence of rotting bodies, dead of this disease, will tend to let it die out in the district; and a fortiori prevent its spread to other districts. THE SPREADING OF ANTHRAX. In connection with the spread of anthrax from infected to uninfected country, I may mention that I am at present engaged in investigating the cause of a certain green colour which appears at times in wool, and which we have traced to the presence of a chromogenic organism—the results will be laid before this Society at an early date. In the course of the work we have, unexpectedly, obtained an abundant growth of the anthrax bacillus from wool sent to me quite unconnected with the subject of anthrax. It is thus easy to see how sheep, in themselves perfectly healthy, from an infected country may carry the organism to clean country and so spread the disease. There is, of course, nothing really new in this, but meeting it in the way I did, it rather impressed me. The practice of some cautious pastoralists who will have nothing to do with anhnals from an anthrax country is absolutely justified, for even while themselves perfectly healthy they may carry the organism in abundance in their fleeces.