Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-05-09
M(istellancons.
THE CATTLE EPIDEMIC IN MAS
SACHUSETTS.-Its Alarming pre-
valance-Probabls interruption Of
State and County Fairs-Symptoms
of the Disease-Its supposed origin.

The Springfield Republican of the 2lst
says:
The commissioners for the extirpation Of
the cattle disease are again this week at
North Brookfeld, and find cause for in
creased anxiety in the development of the
character of the disease, and the extent to
which it has spread in that region. We
Joined the commissioners there on Thurs
days, and give some new and important in
formation on the subject. Drs. Dadd, of
Boston; Thayer, Of Newton; Bates, Bemis
Woodland and Sargent, of Worcester, and
Breck, Of Springfield, were in attendance,
and about fifty of the neighbOring farmers.
The first place visited was Leonard StOd-
dard's, who has 42 head, mostly young cat
tie, all of whom arc supposed to be affected.
Since September last Mr.. StOddard has
lost Is head, at intervals of two or three
weeks. Six animals, chiefly low in flesh,
were slaughtered and dissected in the course
. of the forenoon. They included, as was
sepposed before killing them, some of the
extreme cases, the worse and ligbtest spec
linens of the malady. All were found to
be bad, worse even than was feared. The
last one slaughtered was good-sized, feshy,
brindled COW, whom Mr.. Stoddard claimed
was freest from the disease of any animal
in his herd. Her lungs proved to be on
one side tuberculous and heavy 1t is
thought she might have lived some months,
as does person in consumption. In the
afternoon, the herds of W. II. Ayres, E.
Haston and Alden Olmstead, were visited.
At the two former places the owners only
suspected the presence of the disease. AT
the latter place, five out of twenty-three
head had died, three had been killed by
order of the commissioners, and two others,
a cow and calf, were slaughtered at the
time of our visit The calf was apparent
ly very sick, inclining to lie down, with
dropping appearance, short grasping breath,
and the ribs rendering hollow sound when
tapped upon by the finger. The COW had
been ailing since the first of January. At
first she refused to eat, then drooped her
head. and for some time was daily expected
to die. Some two or three weeks since she
got better, went to eating. and has since
| gained in flesh. In order that the physi-
clans and pOpulace might see the recuper-
ative power of nature in a case of this kind,
The animal was slain. She was then taken
into an adjoining field. abounding in al
ready deep, prepared cattle graves, raped
upon the head, bled, the left front leg re-
moved, the hide skinned back to the middle
of the body, and several ribs nearest the
shoulders withdrawn. The first thing no.
ticeable was the fbrous adhesion of the
lungs to the ribs. The left lung was re-
moved and found to be solid, heavy. and to
contain deep absccss On cutting it
.epep. a yellowish matter of the consistence
of tar isssed freely. This lung was found
to weigh l6 pounds, while that on theright
side weighed only II pounds. The heart
was thin and habby, and the liver studded
pustules, and its surface ritted lie case
of small-po The doctors have saved 1t for
further exhibition and examination. /
We were told by Dr. Thayer. a gentle
man of skill, whom the commissioners en-
ploy in these examinations, that thus far
he has found the left lung most diseased in
recent acute cases, and the right lung mostly
in slow, chronic cases. Mr.. Olmstead tells
US that the first symptoms of the disease
arc a dropping of the head, acough, refusal
to eat, and painting for breath. Some of
his animals have abstaired from food for a
fortnight, and others have eaten on the day
they died.
At present, the disease is confined toa
territory about II miles square, territory
abOunding in cattle, and from which, at
this time last year, from one to two car
loads of butter and cheese per week were
forwarded to Boston. Now all trade is
suspended, the cattle are forbidden under
penalties to be sold. and the herds are or {
dered by the commissioners to be closely
kept on their premises.
The commissioners and doctors are alarm
ed and almost disheartened, for more than
one hundred new cases were presented yes
terday for their inspection, with the ami
mails already killed, and those they find
that must be killed to carry out their poll
cy; the appropriation of the Legislature
(sl0,00O) is more than exhausted. Those &
killed on Wednesday were appraised at
$1,000. s
The history of the disease in this cOun /,
try, SO far as known, is as follows:
In the month of May, 1859. there az
rived in Boston from Holland, four Dutch
COWS directed to W. W. Chenery, of Bel
mont. These COWS were black, thick skin
ned, large and said to be great mixers T
On landing them, they appeared hungry,
thirsty and neglected, and one of them, it
Is said, had not been on her legs for tvea-
ty days Two of these cows were so feeble
that they had to he carted to Belmont,
some SIX miles from Boston. A few days