Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-05-07

The Commissioners have continued their
work at North Brookfield and New Braintree,
during the past week. In all, three hundred
and fifty eight head of cattle have been de-
stroyed, large proportion of them being ex-
cellent working oxen and dairy cows. a very
considerable number still remain to be cleared
away before the public can be assured that the
disease is finally stayed. Not many new cases
have been discovered recently, but almost all
which were suspected, have been proved to be
fatally injected. From this it can be readily
seen, that the expenses of this important work
far exceed the limited appropriation of the
last legislature
The most alarming phase, yet exhibited, is
tile exceeding contagiousness of the disease.
Cases have been before the commissioners
where momentary exposure, only, was
known, and hopes OF escape have been long
entertained, although every precaution against
further possible infection was taken. Yet, in
i'll the end, even in the least suspected cases,
the disease rarely fails to develop itself. An
example may serve to impress this fearful fact
upon the public. Mr.. Lewis E. Hills cattle
ran, last fall feed, beside Mr.. Leonard Stod
dard's herd, slight fence separating. Six
months had passed, without any other known
exposure. Mr. Hill felt safe. April 14th, he
had reason to believe that the disease had de.
veloped itself among his cattle. Just week
after, one of his cows was examined, after
killing. Serum was found, by the gallon, in
10 ha ~ he he md
diaphragm by immense bodies of organized
lymph. The right lung showed the usual tu-
NOR of suppurated lung tissue, The lett lung
was heavy as stone, consolidated and mar
blcd. The interstiticed tissue was enlarged, and
highly organized, while the finer tissue hardly
appeared. 1t looked as little like lung as
can well be conceived. This was the ravage
of the disease after six months, and yet it had
not appeared but for week.
Mr.. SiIas H. Bigelow had two oxen exposed
in the slightest possible degree Three weeks
ago, all appeared well. One week ago, one
of the yoke was killed. One lung weighed
four pounds; the other, t,centy; touT-twenty
pounds of suppurated lung tissue, an immense
W
believed. The history of one yoke of oxen
may be instructive. 1t belonged first to Stod.
dard, and was poisoned by the Chenery calf
1t went to grand moving, with twenty two
other yoke, thus exposing to the infection
thirteen herds, in most of which the disease hal
already appeared. 1t then passed to Mr.. Ohm
stead's herd, staying five days, and sweeping
off his fine stock 1t then passed to Mr.. W
f. Downes poisoning his herd. One of th
yoke was killed last week, showing an old
severe, chronic disease. Such is the story o
this disease, mocking all calculation, lynn
latent for months, unlimited as to the time 0
contagion, until it has spread itself, unseen
among unsuspecting herds, it suddenly devel
ops itself in horrible forms. F.A.w.
PLEURo PNEUMONIA has prevailed very e1
tensively and fatally in Holland for severa
years. About forty per cent. have died out c
each herd attacked. 1t is said that by Shawn
the tails and pricking them with knife, an
smearing the punctures with matter taken fror
chests of infected animals mild form of tn
disease will be produced, and only one pc
cent. will die. That insurance of cattle is e
fected on this presumption, in Holland. Tw
important practical results to our North Brook
field and New Braintree friends will grow GU
of this incubation theory, if true. First the.
will protect their herds by incubation. Sec
ond they will be very careful about going nea
well animals after soiling their shoes or clothes
in making post mortem examinations of cattl
which have died from the disease. If herd
are protected by incubation of course the.
have the disease but once. M******