Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-08-19
The Cattle Disease.

Aug. 18th, IS7O.-My neighbor, Mr.. John
A, Chappelear, bought at Salem ten head of
Texas cattle, driving them home, turning them
into large pasture OF tall grass, containing
fortv eight head of Virginia raised cattle
twenty four head Of the Virginia cattle have
since died. Six of his Texan cattle becoming
scared, two ran to Mr.. SYMPTOMS and four to
Mrs, Fletcher's, remaining at either place
hut lew hours. Mr.. S, has since lost tour
fine COWS. Mrs. T. four COWS and pair OF
fine Oxen Now let US for moment take
retrospective view of the facts In the case
These cattle are collected from various locall.
ties in Texas, all widely differing IN geological
strata as we'll as climatic alterations; feeolng
m the grasses OF different sections and driven
to the point of starting they arc hcrded to
pe,hcr in large bodies, poorly led ard badly
Watered. Is it at all surprising that some form
| IF influenza or enhemera fever should break
out among them Bring large bodies Of young
men of different sections OF the country 20
gether. under similar circumstances, and a
disease which We have learned by recent cz-
| perience to call camp lever Will be the re-
snIt. Suppose number oil these young men
convalescing from a slight attack Of camp
fever" having worn wooden clothing during
| their sickness were to return home unmasked
and without change CT clothing, would II be
wonderful if sickness, and that OF very malg-
| naDt character, should follow their advent
home More especially would this be the case
where no stimuants had been used during the
attack of sickness TO purify the secretlons and
cnualjze the circulation OF the skin. Is it then
snrnrisinp to fpd these Texan cattle transport
ing in their hair specific contagion, however
slight in their own country, capable OF pro-
ducing most malignant disease in ours. Such
| is the known history of all transported diseases;
It is an established fact that one infected
| person may inoculate On entire family, and one
diseased steer may likewise lnoculate all the
cattle on large plantation. And this Is strict
ly in accordance with the known laws OF coz
| tagions, infections, or epidemic and endemic
diseases sand this hidden and singular power oSSeII
| of disease to reproduce itself IN an lntenslcd
form is termed (for the want of u better namcl
epidemic Influence.
With these Texan cattle We have seen al
exciting cause furnished BY foul deoxygnat'
| cd atmosphere, and predsposng cause to be
| furnished By bad food bad water, and fatigue;
causes always sufficient Of themselves, without
the aid OF an exciting cause, under certain
circumstances (which we will term "EDldemlc
Iuhuence') to produce disease. Ii VIC look TO
the older and more systematic writer's we
shall find 'nfccton by definition as uniortu-
nate and indefinite as We have already found
"contagion" to be- Nor are the terms specific
contagion and contingent cOntaglon, as dllneu
at the present day, by any means explicit and
to the point. 1t ls not to be successfully de-
MED that there is j specific serla! poison gene
rated by either vegetable cxhaalonS, climatic
alterations, &c.. &C., capable under certain
circumstances, Of creating in the brute as we'll
| A. lry, ID Of U.r
popularity known as ship lever, camp
fever and typhoid fever That there is al.
so specific poison owing its origin 10 animal
filth, ETC., capable under cirtain circumstances
Of producing in The human a. we'll as The Sys
ten oil the OK or horse, disease known as ly-
phoid gravior, or typhus fever. This when &C
curing among cattle, is popularity known In
the more southern portions OF Europe and IN
tho moro southern States Of our Union as the
"Spenish Feve'; in the more northern por
tions OF Europe and in the Northwestern States
Of America as the Rinderpest. The scientific
name for this grave disease is Pleuro-Pnpu
% oUia, that is in those epidemics where both
peura and the lungs arc involved in the oil.
scasc. The mildest forms of this disease should
be called ephemcral or fever of accimatlon. -
1t is prcpostcrous to believe that these cattle
had the worst forms Of this disease yc'ept
Spanish Fever before they left Texas for the
Virginia market, for il they had, so virulent is
score on the way. Then the question arises
was it Spanish Fever that these cattle were eff
fected with before they left Texas? No. for if
it had been, from tho poor accommodations Of
both food aud air and water they received on
their transit to Virginia, they would have died
in larger numbers on their way, CT soon after
their arrival at this noint Is the disease the
effect of ticks? No. for if it was, it would
kill horses. cattle, sheep, fowls and all alike
Besides, one or two steers could not furnish
ticks enough to supply large farm. Docs the
disease arise from matter furnished by sore feet?
No, for you 6rd the disease spreading where
there is no evidence of any sores upon the feet
OF the Texan CATTLE and one steer could not
furnish matter enough from his feet to effect
the cattle of large farm. We are then forced
to the conclusion that this disease SO seriously
etfecting our cattle at the present time arises
both from bodily eShaIatiors and specific
poison, generated during an attack Of cpheme-
raj or acciimating fever intensified in its power
by its retention in the hair during the trans
portaton TO Virginia. This specific poison
coming in contact with the derangcd and per-
vcrted electrical condition Of our atmosphere
(caused by drouth) in the progress OF chemical
combinations still farther atmospheric dCc1m-
position takes place, thereby generating Iars-
or and more viruleut supply of life destroying
gases capable Of pIayingsad havoc with all cat
tie from every cline. that are not protected from
its ravages ty former attack of cphcmeral
fever. 10 recognize cphemeral fever requires
all the skill Of calm, cautious investigator for
it is lever of a single day-a fever 30 TO
speak, with no symptoms to mark It's inception
save certain watcry filing of the eye. and a
general appearances Of lassitude
We know varialoid may become small poz
to those VINO have never experienced the benign
influence Of vaccination. What, | ask, Is the
effect of vaccine virus when introduced Into the
system. Docs it not produce kind of ephcme
raj fever, or fever OF acclimation, thus won
derfuliy destroying this power Of reproduction
possessed by contagious as well as epidemic
diseases We also know that the virus Of
smallpox. ship fever and the like, alter lying
dormant for mary years in pile Of old hides,
| ,,oolo, oiot Hmm Iant nntns Sr hos hpeu