Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1872-11-07
THE HORSE EPIDEMIC.

The continuance of the horse disease and
its paralyzing effect upon business in the north
ern cities, are the leading themes of the press
and telegraph. AS the disease travels rapidly
and has already reached Baltimore, Washing
ton, Norfolk and Portsmouth, and in view of
the possibility ofits appearance in this section,
we deem it proper to referto the subject again.
The disease up to this time has appeared in
three directions from Toronto, Canada, where
it first broke out-the northeast, taking Mon.
treal; the southwest, taking the direction of
Detroit and southeasterly, via Buffalo, Ro'
chester, Syracuse and New York city, thence
extending south, and at our latest accounts
having appeared as far in this direction as
Norfolk, Va. From the fact that the disease
has spent itself in Canada, and further, that
the breadth of its route in any direction is
narrow, its spread is not the result Of conta'
gion, but of atmospheric influences. Another
law seems to be satisfactorily deduced, and
that is, the disease lasts but about ten days.
and is off mild type. Most Of the cases which
have proved fatal were the result of neglect,
over.work after the attack, and improper
treatment. 1t is also the experience Of those
who have treated the disease, that active treat
ment in most of cases is not only useless, but
positively injurious. Fresh air, clean, pure
water and food ola slightly laxative charac'
ter are all that veterinary surgeons advise
which advice is confirmed by their own expe.
rience.
In the matter of prevention, which most in.
terests the owners of horses hereabouts, ii
might be we'll enough to suggest that it must
produce good results in all our stables to in
crease the circulation of fresh air, and to re.
move the ofal more frequently and more COM
pletely. The odor of ammonia, which is nsu'
ally prevalent in all stables, is very injurious
to horses, and should be prevented by the use
of absorbing substances and the free use Of
plaster of Paris. Pure air and pure water,
and the removal Of everything that tends to
render them impure, are the most important
preventives of disease in animals as well as in
men.
The question whether the disease can be
transmitted to man has been frequently asked
In addition to what we published last week
upon this subject, which was from the pen Of
a physician of Washington city, another wri,
ter says that men have been known to be af:
fected during almost every great outbreak Of
the disease since 1896. 1t has been reported
among others, by Valentine, Nadberny, Xeirt.
sky, Kolb, Hesturg, Rayer, Bosquet, Loude,
sevigny, Dundressy, Hubner, Holmes, Bal.
four Karkeek and Watson. Cases of the dis.
ease in man were seen in Albany and at South
Dover, Duchess county, N. Y, during the
outbreak of 1870. 1t shows itself in man by
slight feverishness and the formation on the
tongue and inside the lips and cheeks, and
sometimes on the head, fsmall blisters, rarely
amounting to the bulk of lentil. In children
and young animals feeding exclusively on
milk, diarrhea and fatal Inflammation of the
stomach and bowels occasionally supervene
On chickens it has been frequently noticed
among others by Hennicke, Lagar, Lamber'
lecchi, Dickens, and Youatt. Chickens were
attacked in December, 1870, on the farm Of
Mr.. Eigbme, La Grange, Duchess county, N
Y. Drinking the castaway milk is probably
the common cause. Dogs and cats have been
noticed by Lagar, Younghusband, and Others
to suffer from drinking the milk.