Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1869-07-23
Ire tnftir AiscoiSe.

For some days past n ringilnrly
strange and fatal disease has existed
among the cattle sbnut the town. In
very short pcriul IL has swept sway at
least fifty milk cnwr withiu he town
and sutrou ding, The raltIe that die
are only those grazing upon the cum>
mons, uDd of these uuly those grazing |
upon the Virginia side have died. Those
grazing upon the Tennessee side, OF
that have been kept up are in II healthy
condition. Of those attacked we have
not heard of case that has recovered,
The opinion has become settled that
it is Texas Cattle Fever, and we nre
among those who are Of that opinion.
Tue facts are about these 10 April
there passed a lot of Texas cattle over
the railroad to be grazed at some point
in East Virginia. When they arrived
at this place they were very poor, weak
and exhausted from being penncd up in
the cars without food. Here they we're
taken from the cars aud bcrdcd upon
the young grass, then springing up on
Virginia Hill and the opon lots there
abouts, for several days. Several died,
and their boues now bleach in the sun.
They were not allowed to cross into
Tennessee nor TO wander into the coub-
try. No disease was noticeable ar.ong
the native cattle until the recent hot
weather, when 1t manifested itself
among the cattle grazing on Virginia
Hill aud continues, up TO the hour Of
writing, to prove very fatal. Those
cattle Kept in the lots on the Virginia
side, with nothing but au ordinary fence
to separate them from those on the com
mons ara healthy, not one of them be-
ing attacked, and it is noticed that no
cattle take the disease except those graz
ing In the track of the Texas cattle,
while all those grazing in their track
die. These circumstances all point TO
Texa, Fever, For in the West where
it has prevailed to such an extent, the
Prarie Turner, one uf the best agri-
cultural papers published in the States,
says: ats existence in an animal in
latent state, so that no trace or symp>
tom of it is apparent, and yet with such
viruleDcc as to cause the animal to i'm
part it to another animal that feeds
along it's trail days afterward is very
mysterious and inexplicable thing.
The fact that native cattle
who have taken it from the Texan, DO
not communicate it to other native cat
tie, is an anomaly of very puzzling
character to all medical men" This
bears out the new settled opinion as to
the origin and character of this disease
In the West suits have heen brought
and damages recovered against parties
bringing Texan cattle into the country
aud introducing this terrible plague
In Arkansas and Missouri the farmers
frequently meet the droyers on the bor-
der with loaded guns and drawn swords
to prevent the introduction of these cat
tie. Many Of the Western states have
passed probibitory laws against their
introduction, but We in Virginia have
never bafure benn iranl.l.i ~..-' ..--.-....
laws 20 protect our people. We are
anxious TO know what became Of these
cattle, whether they are alive or not,
if they stopped at other points on the
road and if so bias the disease NANTES |
ted itself at these places. Let us hear
from our exchanges East aud West of
us wherever they have been.