Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-03-09
GQortester 4ailp Spg,
From the Boston Daily Advertiser,

The Murrain In North BrookfeId.
1t seems as If that hated European scourge,
the "Murrain," though in mild type, has at
last really been introduced into this country.
The calf which doubtless introduced the con.
tagion in this neighborhood, was of foreign ex-
traction. and was purchased, with two others,
by Mr. Curtis Stoddard, I'd, young farmer
of North Brookfeld, from Mr.. w. w. Cheney
OF Boston, who keeps a choice herd of import
ed stock on his Highland Stock Farm in
the new town of Belmont Mr.. Cheney has
from time to time imported several valuable
ANIMALS iron; Holland, and about year ago,
wishing to surpass all his former exploits, he
instructed his agents to select the four best
cows in all Holland, and having obtained the
certificate of veterinary surgeons as to their
soundness, to send them to this country The
COW were selected accordingly and duly ship
ped, but on their arrival at Boston two of
them were seriously affected with some strange
disorder. One was covered with ulcerous rot
ten sores, which emitted an uncomfortable
STENCIL and, as she could not stand, it was nee
@essary 20 employ a cart to convey her to Bel
mont. There she was visited by Dr. Dadd,
but his only advice was, slaughter, and his adj
vice was taken. The other cow interested
the Doctor but he soon convinced himself
that the disease was incurable and she went
the way of her companion Now we can es
tablish the fact that the disease is contagious,
for it spread among Mr.. Cheney's other cattle,
and within year has carried OFF about twenty
five head.
The Brookield farmers are as keenly alive
as their bretheren in other parts of the State TO
the value of improving their stock, and Mr..
Stoddard, aiming to be pioneer in the good
cause visited Mr.. Cheney farm in June last,
and purchased three young calves of foreign
parentage. AT that time some of Mr.. Cheney's
cattle were ill, but it was not then thought
that the disease was contagious. Bringing
home his new purchases, Mr.. Stoddard kept
them for while by themselves and afterwards
allowed them to run with his other cattle. One
rainy day last August one of the calves, an in
teresting heifer, betrayed symptoms of illness,
curling herself up as if suffering from cold.
Her owner at once took her to the barn for
shelter, but she grew no better, and seemed to
breath with difficulty, making grunting noise
while drawing her breath. Mr.. Stoddard's
father, Mr.. Leonard Stoddard thinking that
he might do something for her if he had her
under his eye, took her to his own farm and
kept her Tor few days in a horse barn, snd
then she went home uncured, and in few
days died 1t is somewhat singular that Mr..
Curtis Stoddard's other cattle, with which the
young helfer had associated, on terms of great
intimacy, have not been affected, but the disease
next manifested among his fathers herd. No
other cattle were kept in the horse barn of
MIR. Leonard Stoddard, but the latter gentle
man thinks it probable, though he is by no
means certain, that on some OF the hefer'S ex.
curslon tor water she may have strayed to his
large barn, III which yoke of working oxen
were confined. Certain it is that about two
weeks after her visit one Of these oxen was
taken with the distemper, after a tol might
the other one, in three days more third OK,
and soon COW, and that all these, after an ill
ness of ten or fifteen days each, died. Mr..
Stoddard has lost four more animals, young
cattle during the winter, and this afternoon he
killed another one, which was i'll, to allow a
poStmortem examination to be made for the ben
eft of science and his own townsmen. Be-
side those animals which have died, some have
had the disease in milder form, attended by
cough, and have recovered. These which are
seriously ill do not cough.
Another severe sufferer from the effects of
the contagion is Mr.. C. Huntington, neigh.
Dor Of Mr.. Leonard Stoddard Last autumn
these two gentlemen changed cows. and after
while the COW received by Mr.. Huntington
sickened and died Mr.. Huntington thought
at the time that the animal had the horn-a,
but during the winter he has lost seven or
eight MORE evidently from the new disease
MIR. Alden Woods has lost one animal and
has four sick at the present time. Mr.. Curtis
Stoddard has kept his oxen in Mr.. Woods
barn, and it seems as if the contagion must
have been communicated in this way, al.
though some OF Mr. G.. Stoddards animals, ex-
cept the first hciter, have been diseased In
the east part OF New Braintree the disease has
manifested itself on two farms. A Mr. Need
ham procured COW and two oxen by barter,
from Mr.. l.. Stoddard, and he has lost two
COWS and has more sick. MIR. Omstead of
New BraItree has some cattle 'down" but
eau attribute it to no other cause than the fact
that Mr.. Stoddard has frequently driven his
oxen, which are themselves entirely well,
past his premises. This case is equally
as mysterious as that of Mr.. Woods
On Monday afternoon, after the principal bust
ness OF town meeting" had been accom-
phshed, number of gentlemen visited the
farm Of Mr.. Leonard Stoddard, where they
were shown his two suffering animals Their
appearance was dull and stupid, they seemed
very weak, and their breath was short and
quick. One OF them was led forth to slaugh-
ter, and DIR. Dadd, who had come up by pub
lie invitation, laid bare the secrets of the ami
mails internal organization. The chest was
filled to its utmost capacity with straw Goored
cer1nn, portions of which had coadjulated and
formed nearly pound of colorless abumen
No wonder the animal could not expand its
lungs, with such a mass of foreign matter in
its chest. The lungs were found to be very
much compressed. One portion of them pre-
scented gritty surface to the touch, and was
so dense that it quickly sank when placed in
water, showing that its specific gravity was
unnaturally great.
Dr. Dadd's way of preventing the spread of
the disease, is to have the cattle on those farms
where the disease has appeared isolated from
all other cattle, and that all cattle attacked by
it should be slain. This could be done by d.
recton OF the State Board of Agriculture, the
state paying for the cattle killed. This course
is always pursued when the disease makes its
>A~earance on the Continent of Europe. By
this means he believed is progress may be
stayed at the expense of few hundred dol
lars, when if allowed to spread, its ravages
may cost many thousands. The subject will
be brought to the attention of the legislature
Immediately.