The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1868-08-28
THE SPANISH FEVER.


Chronicle relative TO the Spanish and |
Texas cattle fever. which at present is |
much CONSERVATION through |
out the country. The communication |
gives many important facts not gen.
orally known in connection with the
disease, and coming from one so well
informed as j. II. Dodge, Esq, of the
Department, we doubt not
will be found of interest TO our readers.
He saws:
The panic in the central meat mar
kets, resulting from the prevalence of
Spanish or Texas cattle fever, seems to
be intensified by inconsiderate views
and ungrounded fears. Its presence is
no mystery; knowledge of its char
acter, so far as it has been developed
during the past twenty years in Kan
sas, Missouri, Kentucky, and in South
Carolina and the highlands. of Georgia.
would have rendered it certain that the
movement of Texas cattle, by river
boats and railroad trains, would have
infected all the cattle pasturing with or
after them, or carried in the cars used
by them.
Hitherto the movement has been on
foot, and the infection only reached the
frontiers, and was in no danger of
spreading, as animals taking the dis
ease never communicated it TO others :;
therefore New York and Philadelphia
felt profound unconcern even as to
the symptoms and history of the dis
ease. Now it is at their doors, through
the change in the mode Of transit of
these cattle of Texas, and the gel! era!
alarm greatly magnifies an evil thGt
could and should have been aVerted.
Eighteen months ago the Department
of Agriculture, by its statistical divis-
ion, undertook, not all anatomical or
medical investigation, but the collcc-
ton of facts illustrative of the pro-
gress and character of the disease, and
ascertained, as far as abundant evidence
without an element of contradiction
could show, the following general re-
suits:
l. That the disease is communicated
| by Texas cattle or those from Florida
or other parts of the Gulf coast.
2. That the disease itself is unknown
! in Texas.
| 3. That the cattle communicating il
are not only apparently healthy, but
| generally improving in condition.
| 4. That while local herds receiving
the Infection nearly all die, they never
communicate the disease to others.
D. That either considerable increase
or distance of two or three degrees o.
latitude from the starting point, is nee.
essary to develop the virus into activity
| and Vlrulency and further progress o.
two degrees of latitude, and a few
weeks in time, is sufficient to eliminate
the poison from the system.
q. That Texas cattle, removed to 9th
er miasmatic sections, as the Mississip
| pi bottoms up to the thirty-siXth paral
| lei. communicate no infection to loca
herds.
! Z. Medication has thus far been of nc
avail.
Many erroneous views prevail. Some
people fear it may spread and in
volve the whole country. There is NJ
danger of it. 1t can only spread as fal
as Gulf coast cattle may travel. New
York cattle will not take it from Hi
nOis cattle, though they will from Tex
AS cattle. If Texas cattle are carried tt
New Y DIRK, successive droves of West
ern stock may be infected by the same
cars, if no disinfection is employed.
|, Other persons imagine the disease i
, caused by travel. But travel on tin
/ same parallel to New Orleans OF Mo
bile causes no infection to other stock
|, while journey northward would de
velop disease. And it is curious fact
Il1dC III hlSSISslppI county, AfkdnSas
, near the Missouri line, a sufficien
/ change of latitude but not of climate
upon low-lying lands on the Mississip
: pi-eight hundred head of Texas cattl
: have mingled safely for months wit
native herds.
t 1t is a singular disease, but the fact
? above seem to be well established, an
2 to show that it can be averted by tn
2 exclusion of Texas cattle. or by separat
I ing them in the transit from native cat
e tie and thoroughly disinfecting an
: cleansing the boats and cars in whic
e they are borne. But the safer pla
= would be to kill and cure them in tn
I West, or carry them to Eastern market
a only in winter, when the virus, so ia
r as frontier experience goes, is inert.
n 1t is to be hoped that the investiga
tons of Prof Gourgee, who is employ
n ed by the Department of Agricuitur,
n in connection with other medical me
4 in the West, will shed further light III
Y on the peculiar character of the diseas
Y and the most efficient means of prever
ton.