Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-11-06
THE EpIZOOTIC.
Rapid Spread of the Horse Distemper
Throu gin cut the Eastern and Several
Western states,

HE EfIkUUIICs
Rapid Spread of the Horse Distemper
Throu tut the Eastern and Several
Western states.
The horse distemper briefly men
toned, a short time ago as prevailing
| in Toronto, is now rapidly spreading
East and West, and causes great him
! drance to equine traffic. The telegraph
wires have been burdened during the
week with dispatches from Buffalo,
Rochester, New York, Brooklyn, Bos-
ton, Detroit, Cleveland, and every city
of any size East, announcing the pre-
valence of the plague. In Rochester
| the disease has assumed a fatal charac-
ter. A dispatch dated Saturday says ::
"More fatal cases of the horse dis
ease are reported this morning, than
| during the whole time since the disease
first appeared. The streets are desert
ed of horses, but wagons and carts
drawn by men are plenty. Theexpress
! companies announce that no more
| goods will be received. The railroad
companies cannot deliver freight Re
ports from the Erie Canal, particularly
between this city and Buffalo, are very
discouraging. Many boats have been
tied up, nearly all having sick horses.
Many have arrived with dead horses on
board. The towing companies adver-
tise that they will furnish horses as far
as possible, but will not be responsible
fo1 any lack of service from them. One
of the baggage delivery companies are
using a hand car on the street railway
track"
At Buffalo business suffered consid-
erably from the withdrawal of horses
affected by the malaria.
A Boston telegram dated Saturday,
says: every few horses are in the
streets. All of the various depart
ments requiring horses are at stand
still, and suffering much in conse-
quence. Hand carts are in demand.
Numerous wagons are drawn by men.
The only encouraging feature is that
few cases prove fatal.
In Brooklyn and Jersey City, the
number of horses attacked is great,
but there have, as yet, been no fatal
results.
The area of the disease now extends
from Bangor, Me-, to Detroit and other
points in Michigan.
The disease made it appearance in
New York on Saturday, and in less
than one week about twenty thousand
horses had been attacked There is
hardly public stable in the city which
is not affected, while majority of the
valuable horses owned by individuals
are for the time being useless to their
owners. Many of the car lines and
stage routes have been forced to draw
Off most Of their vehicles, and to lessen
the trips Of the remainder, and even
with this relief the horses remaining
well are overworked. The livery and
boarding stables have also been at
tackled, and large number of trucks
are thrown out OF use or drawn by ami
mails afflicted with the distemper. The
disease has begun to exhibit new and
alarming phases which are looked on
as highly dangerous. The inflammation
of the throat extends to the lungs and
rapidly grows more alarming, and the
coughing is fearfully convulsive. The
animal pants for breath, and becomes
quite cold at the extremities. This
seems to be warming of fatal ending
of the malady.
The trotters and racers stabbed in
the city seemed to have escaped the
disease American Girl has almost re
covered from her slight attack.
At least six hundred cars have been
withdrawn from the city railway lines
In this branch alone the disease throws
a thousand men out of work
The hackmen have almost trippled
fares for passengers, i'll utter violation
lou 70
refusing to pay the illegal rates.
Speaking of the disease, the New
York Times says it begins with la
bored, half suppressed cough, which
rapidly increases in violence, and is
accompanied by fever, intense heat of
the mouth, whether dry or moist, and
a running from the nose and eyes. The
horse attacked refuses all food, but
evinces no disposition to lie down. Of
the modes of treatment, homeopathy
appears to be in most general favor and
to have been used more successfully.
This mode of treatment consists IN the
administering of five drops of aconite,
immediately on the discovery Of infec-
ton, I1corice being also given, to clear
the throat. Aconite and nux vomica
are continued in moderate doses
until the animal RECEIVERS or
otherwise. The allopathic system
is more varied, and, of course,
advises larger doses. Mustard is ap-
piled to the throat, interior and exte-
rior, and the patient is "kept up" by
stimulants. In other cases tar and
bella donna are given. The homeo-
pathic plan, as already stated, finds
more favor, chiefly on the ground that
the doses are less frequent and bulky,
and the horse is less worried by the
treatment. A singular phase of the
disease is the indiscriminate character
of it's victims, no precautions of room,
light or ventilation being proof against
it. Prev entives of every kind have
been tried, but so far, with but mod
crate success. In a fashionable Fifth
avenue livery and boarding stable,
small quantity of sulphate of iron
thrown into water-trough has operated
successfully as preventive, and in this
and other places prompt treatment of
all suspicious cases has thus far been
proof against the inroads of the cpl
dem1c.
The veterinary surgeons define the
epidemic variously, but all agree that
it's origin is traceable to some unusual
atmospheric influence. A veteran
horse dealer from Rochester, stated to
the reporter yesterday that in his thirty
years. experience he had seen hundreds
of cases, but not one of which had re-
suited fatally. He gave it as his opin-
ion that the disease was mild form of
lung fever.
A Successful Gamester.
A correspondent writing from HON.