Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-04-04
AGRICULTURAL.
THE CATTLE PLAGUE-ORIGIN AND
HISTORY OF THE DISEASE.


Mr.. John Gamgee, principle of the Albert
Veterinary College in London, has Just put
forth an exhaustive treatise upon the cattle
plague. In 1852 Professor Gamgee was APP
pointed by the English Government TO con-
duct an inquiry on the cattle disease, which
was then just beginning 10 travel westward
out OF Russia, and his letters at that early
date, prophesying Its advent to England, oc-
casioned an inefiectn9l attempt by the gov
eminent TO legislate on the subject In 1868
-64-65 the plague was travelling by nearly
the same route that il took in the eighteenth
century, viz from Russia through Podalia,
Wallachia- Hungary, Austria, Prussia, Sax
ony, the Palitinate, Italy.
The first account of this murrain dates
with the period when the Goths descended
towards Constantinople, and were repulsed
by Theodosius, ard from thk time ii has
appeared frequently in the middle parts Of
Europe, though the quarantine regulations
Of South Germany have generally prevented
its reaching England. II is essentially
bovine race, though il is communicable to
goats, sheep, deer, zebras, and the peccari.
In 1865 two gazelles brought it 10 France,
and, in the gardens Of the French Acclima-
ton Society. within the fortnight after,
seventeen animals we're sick of plague
aurocks, antelopes, goats, deer-and thirty
four died before it ceased. 1t never attacks
men, dogs, or horses. Professor G.. thinks
the disease to be the result of high farming
and the excessive use of artificial manure,
by which the water for stock is overcharged
with nitrities and other salts.
Itisnot variola-the eruption being not al
ways present-but il is specific, malignant,
highly contagious fever, constantly pervad-
ing the steep lands Of Russia, and never
known in Western Europe, except as the
result Of direct or indirect communication.
Ii originates spontaneously in Russia, where
IL is kept up by reproduction The Russian
cattle are often attacked very mildly; but an
English COW in Russia succumbs at once 1t
attacks cows yielding milk in preference TO
oxen. II soon dries up the milk secretion
but where a sick animal yields milk up TO a
certain stage, analysis shows that the sugar
of the milk is remarkably diminished, and
the butter enormously increased. Filth,
foul air, bad food, &c, can not generate the
disease, but help 10 retain the infection.
Common drinking troughs keep and spread
the virus Railway trucks are centers oft.
The contagious nature Of the disorder is ex-
cessive. Hay kept in loft above infected
stalls communicated il after an interval of
four months exposure 10 the fresh air the |
dung Of animals laid out in autumn and fro |
zen in winter, propagated the disease in |
spring; clothes worn by attendants, placed |
on sound animals, caused the death Of three |
animals out of six. The surest diagnostic |
symptom is an elevation of temperature with |
in the animal. Whenever the heat indica- |
ted is from 102 degrees TO 107 degrees Fair |
enheit, il is not long before the disease be- |
comes apparent. This is enc most valuable |
test, as il may be made long before pulse or |
respiration are affected.
Out Of forty-two COWS presenting this symp |
tom, many were yielding a full quantity Of |
milk, others eating and Eliminating as usual, |
and not one had diarThea. This was on /
November ~; on the 25th only five were /
alive. In all there was sudden fall Of tenn
perature just before death, accompanied by /
a great acccleration Of pulse which in some /
cases was too rapid to be counted. PROBES
sor q. has no faith in any remedies and /
thinks that curing and killing are the same
The way 10 disinfect eattle-trucks, &c, is to /
scald them out with hot steam. The innOc-
ulation experimental Poland and elsewhere
were innumerable, and not altogether unfav-
orable. The calculation is, that of the at
tackled cattle ninety per cent. die, and the |
virus seems 70 get weaker as II passes from /
herd TO herd Though innoculation saveda |
few il was question whether it did not |
perpetuate virus in a milder form. The los |
ses in Russia from incubation were very few; |
in Poland, (1853,) out of 1859 inoculated, |
999 recovered. The experiment was tried |
with lymph taken from animals up to nine |
OF ten removes. In the first remove, fifty |
per cent. recovered; in the other nearly all /
were successful. The malady induced was
very mild, and many were proof against
cOntagion.
The book gives a disheartening account
of efforts at cattle insurance in England. Up |
te 1912 cattle mortality in England never
exceeded two and half per cent, and COM
panies thought three and quarter per cent.
would cover their losses; they then doubled
premiums-but in vain, for, with increase of
foreign diseases, all the companies have, one
after another, come 10 grief In 1871 one
was cleaned out by pleuro-pneumonia; in
1916 another, which insured a million of
stock in two years, failed; third, which did
business al the rate Of 100000 per week,
held out seventeen years lin the first ten Of
which il insured stock 10 the extent of Gl0-
0O0,000,) and was wound up. Five others
have failed since