The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-04-04
AGRICULTURAL.


SOMETHING New CoNcERN1Ne Anon
TIVE Cows.--The great prevalence of
"abortion among cows" in the dairy dis
tricts of New York, during the last ten
years and the difficulty of arriving at
any correct conclusion concerning the
cause of the trouble, must give interest
to any new facts or theories in respect
to this scourge- of the dairy. At the re-
cent meeting of the American Dairy
mems Association at Utica, we had a
conversation with DR.. Briggs of North
Pitcher, N Y, who claims to have dis
covered some curious features connected
with the disease, not hitherto noticed.
In all instances when he has made dis
sections of aborting cows, animalcules
have been found in the lungs, in the
vagina, and in other parts of the ami
NAL, while the expelled foetus has also
been affected with the same class Of or
ganisms. In dissecting the immature
calves he affirms that worms are invar-
iably found about the umbilical cord,
and he attributes the disease to these
causes aa
1t will be remembered that a few
years ago the State of New York ap-
propriated considerable sum of money
to be expended in investigating the
cause of abortive COWS, and Commits
sioners were appointed for the purpose.
We believe no dissections of affected
animals were made by those selected to
investigate this matter, or, at least no
microscopical examinations were resort
ed to. The commission, extending over
two or three years. collected a large
number of facts, from which certain de-
ductions were made, but nothing posi-
tive was elected as to the cause of the
trouble. We thought at the time, and
still think, that the great fault of these
| investigations consisted in not making
thorough examination of the aborting
COWS, and in not having an experienced
microscopist detailed especially for this
purpose. 1t had been long suspected by
members of the Little Falls Farmers
! Club, that abortion was due to causes
similar to those named by Dr. Briggs,
and it was hoped that by the aid of the
microscope the matter would be fully
settled.
The statements of DR.. Briggs seem to
| be confirmed by those of NJ. Bonley,
well known for his researches concern
ing the diseases of cattle, such as car
buncle, &c. We see it stated that this
gentleman has lately made communi-
cation to the Academy of Sciences at
Paris, based upon some Investigations of
NJ. Zundel upon epidemic, or what he
calls enzootic miscarriage in cattle, as
follows:
He states that it has long been known
that when q COW undergoes miscar-
| -, ,olI I,- n+1
in a condition of CESSATION, this accident
does not remain isolated, but on the con-
trary, and, in fact, very commonly, the
remaining animals miscarry successive
ly, as though a contagious principle had
been discharged from the first case, and
communicated to all the others. 1t has
already been shown by experiment, that
if the liquids discharged by a COW that
has Just miscarried, be introduced into
the vagina of another COW nearly at full
term, the miscarriage will take place in
the second case.
According to Franck, this is produced
by the micr0cocci or Jactrids, which exist
in an extraordinary quantity upon the
fetal envelopes, and conduce to their
decomposition. These being introduced
into the vagina, multiply with great ra-
pidity, penetrate to the uterus, and there
initiate that decomposition of which
abortion is the consequence. If it shall
be established that abortion among cows
is caused by living organisms Of the
character referred to, we have reason to
believe that remedy will yet be dis
covered for this disease, which is proving
to be one of the greatest scourges that
has ever afflicted the herds of Central
New York.
There is no abatement Of the trouble
this year in Herkimer and the adjoining
counties. We know of herds i'll which
thirty or more cows had aborted during
the early winter and up to February 10
In some dairies the loss from this disease
for a series of years has been more than
the entire profits from the herd during
the time. The question of "cause and
remedy" for the trouble is one of very
great interest to the dairy public, and
we give the above facts in the hope that
further examinations may be made
either confirming or refuting the state
ments to which we alluded.-X. 4. VIZ,
lard in Rural Ne1o Yorker.