The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-03-25
CATTLE EPIDEMIC IN NEW JERSEY.

ser,ous Alnr~ Among Farmers and Cattle
Owpers-Derails Of Special Cases Of tho
Dtsoase-The Subject Submitted TO the New
York Veterinary College. dc.
The farmers and owners OF cattle in New Jersey have
recently been seriously alarmed as the simultaneous ap
pearancs IN various parts Of the state Of disease
among their horses and mules This disease has In the
fsw cases which up 70 the present time occurred
invariably proved fatal and although the symptoms
not in all instances Identical they sufficiently Alike
in their general character to apprehension
that they bat the beginning Of epidemic, which
may possibly create much loss among the cattle Of
this section Of the country the we'll known rinder
pest has already caused in Europe u Is admitted By
all that the past year. and especially the extraor
binary winter which is closing has been extremely
unfavorable to the health Of either beast and
there reasonable basis for the fear that the unusual
physical conditions under which have been placed,
may have produced effects which, although they haye
hitherto remained dormant, may shortly become only
too clearly apparent For some time complaints have
been made in nearly every county IN the State OF New
Jersey the effect that unusual amount Of sickness
prevailing among horses; and in fact, live stock
generally One Of the most dangerous and fatal diseases
which attacks horseslung fever-has lately been ex-
tremoiy destructive while nearly every other malay
with which they at any time visited has existed with
moro less intensity. number of deaths have, now
is unknown though many OF the symptoms are similar
to those which in human beings characterize Wpnoa
fever In the following this disease mas exhDed
itself in extremely virulent FORM and detailed MS
tory them will doubtless be OF considerable interest,"
About ton days ago Mr.. G. W. Steile OF Piscatsway
township Middlesex county, remarked that one Of his
mules was sick Veterinary assistance at once pro-
cured but remedies applied seemed TO be entirely IN
eicacous and the animal died shortly aver tne niue
in the same stable were seized with similar symptoms
about the time as in the first case also died.
Two days later another animal was taken sick, and
within a week less than six animals were dead The
whole history of the contained in the following
quest Of Gentleman ia New York who desired 10 for
ward 1t 10 the Veterinary College Of this city
The first thing that attracted attention mule that
om lbs WSs LED from The stable se
showed symptoms Of extreme debility rapid sinking some
oslasf Ss ssssssd s.; S
~ ne an hour
fun length and unable rise pulse quite low heart NOV.
profnss Precipitation and spasnodic s:russng A
dead Un s %
O'Clock driven New Brunswick showed less
Rsnss a. debility
hs
not lie down until when she made spasmodic
sfr
M much as the
and died before morning; ~.
sis
a % ss 90
evening and died on, wedAesdsy morning. II IL my Inn
stayed by being steamed for several hours With
hot but my hOrsc doctor did agree with Tho
symptoms very similar In all the animals.
The cause OF death mysterious and inexpcahIe
THAI in pursuance OF suggestion made by the local
geon, who had attended the animals. post mortem
examination was determined upon The services Of two
physicians accordingly Obtained and the bodies Of
two mules and horse were dissected The invcstiga-
ton showed that the brain In Its normal condition,
the spine healthy, the windpipe and gullet FREQ from
Inflammation obstruction The lungs sound, while the
Spleen liver kidneys, bowels and bladder were all ap
parenty perfectly healthy. The stomachs taken
and submitted Professor Cook Professor OF Che-
thai possibly person, through malice had admin
70 the animals but the ordinary chemical
tests failed discover any traces of L. On careful
animation Of the stables In which the animals had been
kept found that the water IN the cstern where the
animals were waterod had been for time etagnant
and that vapors arising from the lying about
had vtated it. Possibly this may have been the only
origin Of the disease but at any rate, must have a.
gravated t.
Two or three cases, which in their general features
closely resemble the above occurred about the same
time at Meudham, Norris county. Two horses, owned
by Mr.. Caroy, sickeued simultaneously and died and
third which had been kept in the same stable, was
shortly after attacked by similar symptoms and also
died A day so later the horse or q neighbor was
seized with disease apparently IDENTICAL and after
sickness OF twenty -four hours expired. The symptoms
OF disease in these instances described TO be DIM
Guilty In drinking and loss Of appetite, accompanied by
great debility. There also a slight discharge from
the Death eusuod In from twenty four 10 fifty
hours after the attack. The only difference between
these and those OF Mr. Stees horse that
animation the lungs OF the animals In the former
found be TERRIBLY diseased and just before death
the breath was remarked to DO extremely puTf.