Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-05-11
atnian and american.
THE MULE DISEASE Ar THE soUrH.

Ini1n and Smfrifan.
THE MULE DISEASE AT THE SOUTH.
The Nicksburg Herald contains letter
from DIR. John w. Young, Of Texas Parish,
Louisiana, giving the particulars of the cpl
demic which prevails among the mules of
that and many other neighborhoods of the
South to an alarming extent. He reports
that in his immediate vicinity 22l had
died, most Of them within three days. He
adds:
The disease, whatever it / .ay have been,
made its appearance on Tuesday, the 10th
instant, and during that and the subsequent
two DAYS swept off fully one-half Of the
mules in this part of the county. How far
Its ravages extended have not been able to
learn, but have been told that it was equally
fatal at st. Joseph, Louisiana, and on Davis
Bend, Mississippi, one firm at the latter
place losing eighty head Of mules.
SYMPTOMS.
These have, so far as | can learn, been uni
forlnly the same. The first evidence of dis
ease is manifested by a restlessness Of the
animal, the tanks begin 10 swell up, the
back becomes more or less bumped" up,
and in many cases desire TO urinate occurs,
the mule droops IFS head and ears, The latter
becoming cold, a frequent disposition to lie
down and roll, causing great rumbling of
water in the bowels. These symptoms con-
tinue from hour TO hour 10 increase, indica-
ting great internal suffering, until from five
TO ten hours death comes to give relief
CAUSES
The most that can be said is, that the dis
ease was induced by epidemic influences.
At first most every one supposed it to be
collie, till the remedies usually successful in
such cases only seemed to aggravate rather
than relieve the symptoms Some again
supposed it was caused by overlooking with
corn, but soon this position was proven un-
tenable as mules and horses running on
grass, or fed oats and hay alone, were at
tackled and died like the rest. Others again
concluded it must have been gnats, which
poisoned the mules by biting, etc. If the
latter was true, it seems strange that they
should commence and almost end in three
days all over The country at the same time.
Native mules, creole mules, fed on native
corn, old and young, all died alike. Ii
none of the above causes, how can you ac-
count for the disease? say some. | confess
frankly j can't account for it any more than
/ can account for the Thousand and one"
pestilential diseases that from time to time
play such havoc with everything sentient.
Still am willing to venture an opinion,
and until more satisfactory proofs are given
10 the contrary, will let the matter rest here.
After observing the symptoms in many
cases. the effects of remedies and having
made several very minute post mortem ex-
aminations, | believe the disease to have
been a species of cholera. If so (many will
ask, why not, the usual discharges OF
" rice water" from the bowels, as in man ?
To such will answer, why not a mule or a
horse walk upright like man, so as to IA
vor the outpourings Of the contents of the
bowels, thus being added with the force OF
gravitation or the hydrostatic pressure!
They do not, however. The animal retains
a horizontal, and not n perpendicular rela-
ton 10 the earth; hence the liquids are re-
tanned, and were found in small quantitie,
in the small intestines, and nothing else
could be found there through an extent OF
twenty-five feet, exceptwind, the former fill
ing the caliber fully halt, if not more, and
the latter expaning it 10 its utmost capacity.
There was no evidence of constipation in
any part Of the alimentary canal. Hence
the regular purisaltic motion of the bowels
must have been paralyzed more or less.
TREATMENT.
No treatment so far as can learn, gave
any satisfactory results, and so disheartened
became many planters that they generally,
after few fruitless efforts, turned their sick
mules out TO die as soon as attacked. The
following were among the various articles
frial xuifhpYf avail. NM in.
bleeding i'm the mouth spirits turpentine in
lard bleeding in the neck till faintng oc-
Cured. In some few cases, this seemed to
give some hope, but failed so frequently To
give relief that il was soon discontinued.
As soon as i became satisfied that the dis
ease was cholera, / adopted the following
treatment with a favorite mule, after trying
other remedies without avail. The animal
| was satisfied, could live but few hours
unless relieved, and there seemed but little
at itake. This was the last mule attacked
Of .lurs, and | know not how far the treat
meht can be relied upon. The mule treated
is now well and at work, and has been for
several days.
prescription-Tak laudanum, one table
spoonful; spirits Of nitre, half table spoon
full compound tincture of myrrh, two table
spooniuls; whisky, half pint; mix and
drench. After giving, the mule ceased to
lie down and roll; seemed very sick and
restless during the night, which, however,
soon wore off, when the appetite returned,
and the cure seemed complete
Here the disease seems 10 have spent its
force. IL is to be hoped so, at least, for such
visitations are well calculated to try mem
pocket books, and many planters are nearly
ruined pecuniarily.
The services Of the poor dumb brutes are
badly needed, nor can the loss be repaired
with safety at once, there being general
distrust at repairing it, at the present time,
nor until IL is fully ascertained that the dis
ease has left the country, and when that be-
comes established, planters will be greatly
behind hand.