Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-08-21
6easral Intelligence.
DISEASED CATTLE.


clatlOn OF TINS city sent Professor JOuu
Gamgee, of London, England, to investi-
gate the nature of the malady affecting cat
tie in Central and Southern Illinois. The
professor has made his report. and as 1t is
q very marked and able paper upon this at
the present time, very interesting topic,
we give it entire, as follows:
GENTLENEN-On arriving at Tolono last
Wednesday morning, we had no difficulty
in finding diseased animals TO examine, and
our late investigations at Farina, Cairo and
elsewhere, enable me to give you toler-
ably complete account OF the symptoms
and post morton appearances of animals
affected with this disease.
In the first place the general aspect of
the sick OK or COW is peculiar. With
dropping head, arched neck, hollow TANKS,
dull looking or staring coat, there is an ap-
pearance of great detection, The pulse is
frequent, sometimes full, and at others
thready: during the latter stages of the
disease it is so frequent and small as not
to be easily taken at the jaw. The secre-
tions are checked with the exceptions of
some glary mucus from the nose and very
high colored urine, which is often retained
in great abundance and for some length of
time in the ever distended bladder The
secretion of milk il suspended in cows from
the earliest stages. There ia costiveness
but this is readily overcome by medicine,
and even by special diet The breathing
/ is usually frequent and sometimes painting
The temperature of the body rises to 1O7
( degrees, 103 degrees and 100 degrees
Fahrenheit, and nothing is more remarka-
bic than the early and very marked eleva-
ton of animal heat. OF all the symptoms
none are more remarkable than the tremb-
/ ling and twitchings of muscles and unsteady
Y gait Of the affected animals. In the adj
yanced stage of the disease, when the OK or
COW lies down, there is difficulty IN rising
! from the partial paralysis of the hind quar-
/ ters; and the first indication OF this inter
/ ference with the functions of the hind
| limbs is their being drawn slightly under
/ the belly, and the fetlock joints slightly
( bent as in other acute diseases of cattle.
/ But the partial paralysis sometimes IN
wolves the fore legs, and We have noticed
what psychologists would call defective CO.
ordination or movement from implication
| of the lesser brain in disease. We have
/ been told of some patients manifesting
signs of delirum. The animals die usually
/ in from three days to q week. There may
/ be a few exceptions to this rule, as we
have heard of animals which appeared
well on one day and died ON the next;
I but such cases are rare, and the early
symptoms of the disease had beer probably
overlooked.
Without OBTAINING you with any length
ened description of the pathological APP
pearances as ascertained after death, may
mention that the respiratory organs are
healthy In two cases we have seen some
escape of air around the lobules of the
lung, as ia other forms of cattle disease,
but the breathing apparatus is not the seat
| of any specific mischief, The heart and
its covering are studded with blood ex-
/ travasions of very marked kind, such as
| invariably attend the maladies in animals
which are characterized by very decided
blood changes.
More Characteristic signs are obtained
from the true stomach and intestines
which, from. their redness and occasional
erosions, indicate the action OF an irritant
poison The liver is sometimes congested
and turgid, but usually normal. The
spleen is nearly twice its natural size, and
its pulp more black, soft and friable than in
health. The kidneys are Of normal size.
usually dark colored, and sometimes con-
tanning in their cavities some bloody urine
the bladder, with one exception, we have
found sound, so far as its coats were con-
cerned, but enormously distended with
bloody urine, which coagulates freely when
u.
nitric acid.
The farmers of our country would call
this disease ''black water" 1t is very sim
liar to the "darn" of Aberdeenshire, and
it has been described as occurring III vari-
Gus parts of Europe. There are, however.
some very important features III the out
break we are at present studying, and it is
essential I should state distinctly that
which conceive to be matter of fact, and
distinguish this from what at present may
be pure theory, though opinions Of toll
erablv decided character can already be
formed
In the first place, the malady follows the
track of Texas cattle, and is not found be-
yond. The Texas cattle are themselves
healthy, and we have failed yet to see
diseased one Native cattle do not COM
municate the disease to other native cattle,
and sucking calves continue to suclzle their
sick mothers without contracting the dis
ease. In one case calf sucked it's dam
ill the latter died; it was then placed with
COW that also died; and lastly, with
third one that succumbed too, without in
dicating the slightest symptoms Of i'll
health.
Secondly, consider that there is no
specific animal poison causing the spread
of the disease. 1t is not malady belong
ing to the class of true plaques or epizoo-
tics; it has local origin, from cattle graz
ing on certain lands in Texas, and if you
took cattle south and grazed them where
the Texan steers enjoy perfect health, from
being acclimatized and accustomed to
peculiar pastures, you will find the cat
tie of the north dying IN the south as they
are doing at present in the state of Illinois.
It is not an uncommon circumstance for
animals which are themselves healthy,
being the carriers of disease producing
elements, though there is something un-
usually virulent discharged by the Texan
herds, and discharged only during the
summer months.
This malady has been classed in Europe,
by some authors, among the forms of an
4 thrax or carbuncular fevers, which origi-
nate spontaneously where there is sufficient
heat on ill-drained, retentive soils, and
widely over the marsh lands of central
southern and eastern Europe.
/ But gentlemen, it is a consolation to
/ know that there is not the slightest danger
/ of any evil arising from the drinking of
! the milk of the sick cows, and should
have no scruples in eating the flesh. They
are not poisoned by any specified virus
! calculated to do injury to men or animals,
and in laying before You a theory of the
origin of this disease, / am strengthened
by facts which l have cleaned during in
vestigations of similar disorders in Europe.
About spring time and early summer, in
all probability, the Texas cattle eat, IS our
own do in some parts of Scotland, the
young, succulent shoots of peculiar trees,
highly charged with astringent principles.
On unbroken ground, highly charged with