Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-10-28
ALEYA. GAZETTE & VIRGINIA ADVERTISE

From the Chicago Tribune

ABOUT three mOntnS ago SeVeTa HORSES IN
the West Division City Railway Company's
the symptoms having been as follows The
extremities we're cold, discharge ran from
the eyes and nose; in some cases there was hem
orrhage from the lungs. Complete prostration
followed, and cough set 10. The visible por
tions of the mucous membranes were highly
injected. The first symptom noticeable was
trif1ing sdumpishness displayed by the poor
beasts, who appeared to an outsider merely a
little out Of sorts, and such that a person not
accustomed to horses would overlook entirely
In no two cases were the symptoms entirely.
alike, but they embraced the above, with per-
mutations and combinations, until in three
iudicious attention and treatment, they have
nearly all been rescued, only three having been
lost, one of them from disease incident to
that from which he had been cured. There
is one mare at the barn at present whose
death is hourly expected. She has been
suffering from what DR.. j. ID. Tuthill, the
veterinary surgeon, describes to be pleuro-pneu-
monia-a combination OF pleurlsy and pneu-
monia. and yesterday afternoon she had been
ailiug for So hours.
A reporter yesterday afternoon paid a visit to
DR.. Tuthi, who had attended the sick horses,
and learned from him some interesting facts,
which will be found valuable by those who
own horses.
The disease from which the poor animals
in the barn have been suffering is an
ep;zootic of typhoid character, but
whether iti identical with the horse disease
from Canada Mr. Tuthill could not say. 1t was
not. in his opinion, infectious, but eplzootlc, or
endemic, if the term be preferred Is is not a
new disease. 1t has been treated in the old
country. and successfully combated. All horses
are subject to it throughout the year, but es-
pccaly iu the spring and fall. Like other
similar diseases, the severity OF the different
epidemic assaults is subject to great variation
One season brings a mild and almost lmpercep-
tibe attack of its another virulent and de-
structive one, such as seems to have come upon
the continent. The duration Of the disease va
rieS as much as the premonitory symptoms.
Two horses that died in the West Side stables
were sick for So hours only. Others have been
SICK for weeks. Before horse is thoroughly
convalescent, and fit to work after an attack "A
month or six weeks must pass by All have
been under treatment; some are so tar recover
ed as to be at work again, the disease having
lett no permanent traces upon Its victims.
Some of the cases have commenced with an at,
tack upon the throat others were complicated
with bronchitis; in others pleurlsy, and 10 others
again pleuro- pneumonia. Great prostration
matlsm has set in. The symptoms are TYPHOID
in character and require instant attention and
nromnt treatment; otherwise there IS danger
that the disease will have obtained such head
wav that recovery is doubtful, even it possible.
Atthe same time DR.. Tuthill does not regard
the disease as fatal While he cannot positive
" assert that it is the same as that which has
been so destructive in the East, he has strong
belief thatits The great mortality that mas oc-
CURED he attributes more to the want OF proper
treatment land consequent improper treatment
than to the disease itself lie had treated nfty
cases. and all but three of his equine patients
had recovered. One of these latter had reeov-
cred from his attack and was getting along
nicely. when rheumatic Inflammation OF the
hook Joint set in, and the poor animal died OF
Inflammation of the covering OF the hock joint.
II is astonishing how the diseased parts sympa-
tbized with one another, and how frequently
rheumatism and pericarditis ensued on the dis
annearapce of the disease. When the disease
assumed the form OF typhoid pneumonia 1T was
very difficult to cope with 1t. =
While he was not aware OF the existence OF
any other cases in the city, he had observed
several similar in symptoms to those at present
under treatment during the spring, ana men
toned the fact, but it had died out without
cansinp any alarm. They were probably sporad-
ic cases He believed that the West Side
Car Company in the construction OF the barn
had materially provided against any great NOR
tality among their horses. The barn was on
the Ground floor, and better ventilated and
cleaned than any in the city. These causes and
the nrompt treatment of diseased animals
had resulted in his saving so many and los
ing so few. Should the disease prove to oe
fhe dreaded epidemic, as he had no doubt lt
would, the dingy. dirty, i! ventilated character
of the livery and boarding stables OMNIBUS
stables and sale stables, together with the crowa.'
ing which they were compelled 70 put p up Will,
would produce terrible mortality chicago mas
~ nrasent more horses than any city in the world
of it's population and less accommodation 1or
% Tbe exciting cause of the disease is cold, Dr.
Tuthi]l assumes, and it might be called cpl:
7oot;c catarrh. He recommends that prepara-
tons tons he made through the city to meet the dis
ordsr and he suggests the liberal sprlnkl!ng
o, of harns floor. walls ceilings and cribs, with
ohlor;de of lime Let in all the air possible,
he saws, Don't be afraid OF fresh air. ln an uh. m
derground stable ventilation must necessarily W
be difficult, but even here more ar can % le.
in than is generally admitted Keep tne nools
clean: clear away the excretlons as ol.en % pos,
sible; let the horses have regular e1esGlse anu
plenty of it, but don't oVef"ork 'i'0 pun
creatures for your own gooo. o.l, ;nforn,s
4 special correspondent in Canada IN lnloTms Tns
us that over one-half Of the horses on tnet ntI
of rho Great Western Railroad are LAID up WIN
the disease. and that it is working westward.
MRs O,LEaRYs Cow.-The people, OF chi
ooao ore not unsrateful Looking at the mag
n;Scent buildings erected on the site OF tne
ashen desert of year ago, and the coont'ess
Improvements which could never nave De6p bp
% tbe sre I thew M turn with grateful hearts towards
Mrs. OLeary, whose COW and kerosene uaansp lalnp
combined caused the conaagratlon ana pIIpGGSe 1pG
to give grand ball for the benent Of tina, abs hsr
the proceeds be devoted to nrdt;on and to
in her former position ana conu''.v onu and Iamn D.
the purshase of another caDln' co" ano A''-'p'