The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1860-06-14
The Cattle Disease in Massachusetts.

The Cattle Disease in Massachusetts.
p The editor of the Cincinnati Home
stead has been in the infected district,
of North Brookfeld, taking some notes
Of the operations of the Commissioners
to whom has been intrusted the attempt
to eradicate the fatal disease which has
spread amongst the cattle there. He
says: ri aaes .Ho59r - roi3sri
Sour own skepticism was great.
Fhaving heard that the animals showed
little or no signs of disease, even in
advanced stages of the malady; and
we were strongly inclined to the opin-
ion that there were some exaggeration.
Up to the night previous to our visit,
The number of animals killed was sos.
Paoli Lathrop, was accompanied by
DR.. Dadd, the Veterinary Physician,
and two other commissioners.
"We joined Mr.. Lathrop and ac-
companied him in his melancholy visits.
All the animals in the herds examined
had been previously numbered, and
their value appraised. Those showing
evident marks of disease are not paid
for by the State, but others are. When
animals are found evidently diseased,
as shown by PERCUSSION upon the tho
rax, some in the herd are killed, their
lungs examined, and if, as has invaria-
bty been the case, the disease is seen
upon the lnngs, the whole are con-
demned to be killed. The farmer has
graves or pits dug, where it is most
convenient, and the cattle are driven
thither, slaughtered, their lungs ex-
amined, and every particle of the beast,
even to hide and shoes buried five feet
deep.
"We visited some well-kept barns
in which the herds looked remarkably
well other herds were in very poor
flesh, as there has been scarcity of
hay, and the animals were sspring
poor So far as we could observe, the
condition of the animals as to flesh
formed no criterion whereby to Judge
of the state of their lungs. The eye
was generally dull, sunken, and not
open wide; but this, though usual,
was not an infallible indication of the
presence Of disease. ie
"One Of pair of very handsome
FIVE year old brindle cattle, which were
in good working order, and had been
steadily at work up to that very day,
and perhaps hour, was killed, and
showed the most abundant evidence of
disease. One pair of cattle, which
had doubtless communicated the dis
ease to the entire herd of their owner.
in which one steer appeared quite sick,
and one heifer was slaughtered which
showed thoroughly diseased lungs,
were as sound and healthy, to all ap-
pearance, as need be; yet by percus-
sion, the dead, filled up, inelastic sound
gave evidence of disease. But we can
not particularize cases, nor can we, ex-
cept in the briefest manner, describe the
disease and the appearance of the lungs.
"The facts with relation to this ter
rible malady most noticeable and to be
borne in mind are gi bu tlsnoni
lst. 1t is in the highest degree con-
tagious, attacking animals who come
near enough to diseased animals to in
hale their breath, or at least, near
enough to be within the sphere of their
influence. Whether this is ten feet or
ten rods, we do not know; but, thus
far, not single case has been discov-
cred where the animal had not been
exposed by proximity to those after
wards known TO be diseased? !? 1t is
not an epidemic like cholera, nor is it
communicated in the air, by means of
something in the air, and foreign to the
diseased animals; but it is supposed
with pretty strong evidence, that the
contagion is communicated in the
clothing of men, the hay, ETC., which
has been exposed among the diseased
animals. - 2-'e- le
t" I'd. 1t is certain death. No ami
NAL after having been exposed has
been known to recover; though they
in. some cases remain in apparently
good health for months. Remedies
are useless in some cases perhaps al
ley;ating the acute form of the disease,
but of no permanent avail. o srf
sd. The disease is confined to the
lungs. and pleura, which is the men,
brane which lines the cavity in which
each lung plays. This pleura is g re-
fected" upon the lungs, and forms the
thin, delicate tunic" which invests
each lobe and sub-lobe of. the lungs.
How the disease originates and pro-
crosses is not known. The inner sur
face of the pleura becomes diseased,
more or less inhamed, and it excretes
a waterv serum " uhich in considerable
quantity is found in the cavity of the
chest. The membrane which covers
and forms indeed the exterior surface
of the lungs becomes opaque and
tough, the expansion and all natural
action of the organ becomes hindered
and finally arrested. The substance
of the lung fills up and becomes en-
larged, assuming in this stage different
appearances, the most common OF
which in cases of long standing is a
look like pudding, thick, soft, and more
or less lunpy, of light, pinkish boiled
liver color within, and marbled on the
outside. In other cases OF in different
parts of the same pair of lungs, a
structure quite like raw liver is noticed !;
and again like flesh. In very acute