The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1869-06-18
NUMBER %
THE CATTLE PLAGUE.

We recently had call FROM Prof.
i Gamgee, who spent an hour enlighteH-
| ing US on the mysteries of the Texas cat
tie disease. He recounts his connection
with it in this fashion: Being in the
country at its outbreak, and having been
employed by the British government in
the investigation of cattle plaques, Gen.
Capron, commissioner of agriculture.
employed him in the investigation OF
the Texas cattle fever. He devoted him
self for months to the Investigation. He
pleads, ''not guilty." to the ''creypfoga-
mia theory" aud disatows the fungi.
He says it is a fact that when Texas cat
tie were in the north they did not COM
| municate a disease, and that he aScer<
tanned the following facts:
| 1. That all Texas cattle have larger
spleens than northern cattle. and in all
diseased cattle the-spleen is greatly en-
larged.
.. That some Texas cattle have died
of the disease.
| 3. That the meat frome these diseased
cattle is not uRwholesome, however
unpleasant the idea of dining upon it
may be.
4. That one diseased steer or COW will
not impart the infection to another.
Calves sucking diseased cows have es-
capped.
5. There is no known instance in
which cattle passing on cars have com
municated the disease to the cattle of
the country.
6. Cattle separated by single fence
| from Texas cattle are not affected.
z. After period of ten weeks or three
| months i'll the north, Texas cattle lose
the power of injecting others.
8. Corn fed cattle are harmless.
| From these he adduces a theory that
| there is some quality in Texas grass
which imparts to the eccretia the power
of engendering disease, as is the case in
that human ailment, the cholera.
Upon the representation of Prof.
Gamgee the Chicago market for Texas
cattle was kept open the whole summer,
only such cattle as were found to have
enlarged spleens being rejected. He
claims that there is no necessity for dis
continuing the trade which may be safe
! ly carried on during the whole year,
save in the heat of summer, and even
then, If the cattle are kept separate from
Others. and northern cattle kept from
their pastures.
| He is not sure but that the systems of
the cattle might be purged of this Of
fensive matter in a much shorter time
than ten weeks. But Prof. Gamgee is
of opinion that the remedy for the
u
| tice of feeding corn to the cattle for a
| period of say four months before send
ing them north. He says that the prof
its Oh a corn-fed steer is more than
| double that on one sent direct from
grass, and that ii will be found both safe
and profitable. With a view to estab-
fish the absolute safety of corn-fed Tex
as beeves, he proposes that the agricul-
tural department shall procure a drove
of beeves, and, having taken them north,
mix them in the same pasture with
northern cattle; he is willing to stake
his reputation as man of science that
there will result no development of the
disease. He was not present at the
Springfield convention, and does not
agree with its conclusions.
Prof. Gamgee is here for the purpose
Of practically testing his plan for pre-
serving fresh meats. He visits Ho0s
ton, whete he will slaughter some 20 OF
30 animals, sending some TO New York
others TO Washington, and others tt
England. His system preserves the
beef in quarter sections of its origina
color and appearance. Should he sue.
coed, lie will open mine OF wealth t.
this State, and especially to the grazing
interests thereof Cohesion Bulletin