Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-12-25
THE EPIZOOTIC.
The ,IaIady "a Repetition of the ScOurgC
of Last Century.

While the epizootic is among us, it will be of
interest to know that it has prevailed heretofore
and in equally as dread form. The following
article prepared by one of the physicians Of
this county, furnishes some interesting facts on
the subject:
As many know, and many Others do not
know, the word epizootic simply means dis
case prevalent among irrational animals 1t
may be disease of the brain, lungs, bowels or
any other organ, and still an epizootc-as cpl
demic is to man, so is epizootc to the brute
creation. Hence, from the name We derive n
knowledge Of the nature of the disease or of
the remedies adopted to the relief Of the
animal.
There is now a disease prevailing among
horses generally, throughout the United States,
having its origin or commencing point in Cana
da. 1t is called epizootic, epihipc, horse mala-
dy, &c, none of which tells what it is or what
it is like. We propose to call it influenza. And
now for the proof. First, of the weather for
several months past, all know the changes from
warm to cold and cold 10 warm have been very
sudden and extreme succeeding very hot and
dry summer.
Sir G. Baker says, "that the weather in the
Spring of 1852 before the epidemic catarrh of
that year broke out in London, was extremely
irregular; winds, frost, snow and rain follow
ing each other in rapid succession and with I'M
usual severity. A hot, dry spring and sum-
mer preceded the epidemic catarrh of autumn
in 1875" DR.. Anthony Fathergill says, that
disease among dogs and horses was general
over England before The influenza broke out
and we are also assured it was preceded by dis
ease among dogs and horses in Dorsetshire and
at Exeter, and by unusual haze, easterly winds
and almost universal cough among horses in
North Wales" DIR. Parr says, that I'm 1852
horses were effected with cold, near Exeter"
Maertans records striking fact relative TO the
first appearance of this epidemic at Petersburg,
in connection with particular change of the
init otYon-
ter rose 300 Fahrsnheit, and the next morning
forty thousand persons were taken i'll with the
influenza" ] mention this fact to show the
similarity of attack between the disease then
and the one now prevalent among horses in the
United States sweeping over a continent in
few months, and attacking all the horses in
city in few days.
Il am of the opinion" says Cummings, THAT
the remote cause of this disease originated in
the sudden change of atmosphere. change,
believe, generally felt throughout the united
kingdoms as well as upon the Continent. Epi
zootic diseases preceded it in some places
others among several, as cats, dogs,
cows horses, sheep, swine, &c, in Shrop-
shire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire Cumber
land, Hampshire, Worcestershire, &c.
Disease was very prevalent among sheep in
some parts of the north of England in 1881, just
before the Influenza appeared, and an epizootc
cstarrh seems to have ragged among horses in
the south of England the same year.
In man the disease usually commences with
slight chills, amounting som etimes to shiverings
and alternate fushings of heat with langor and
sense of extreme wesriness then soreness over
the eyes, or pain in the course of the frontal
sinews, quickly followed by frequent sneezing ;
q copious discharge of lymph, or thin clear
fluid from the rose and eyes, sometimes so acrid
as to eIcoriate the upper lip; heat and soreness
in the top of the larynI and asophagus and
along the course of the windpipe, with hoarse-
ness and dry cough; sense of structure in the
chest and difficulty of breathing; depression of
spirits and sudden and extraordinary prostra-
ton of strength, &c.
The experience of physicians is, that in most
cases of influenza but little medicine is neces-
sary. In mild cases, rest, with as many COM
forts as can be rendered the animal, light and
digestible food, regulations of the bowels by
mild laxatives, &c, is as much as will be neces-
sary. In severe eases it might be well to nau-
seate the stomach with tartar emetic or ipecac'
uanha, at the same time giving the horse free
~ faxseed tea. In the epidemic of 1910 DR.
Short tells that blood letting and purging did
harm. In 1867 bleeding was said to be so tata
that in a small town near Madrid, 1000 persons
died after it in September. In 1880, Sennertus
ascrbes the death of 1900 persons in Rome Il
blood letting, and stated that where it was omit
led the morality was not greater than one in ;
thousand. B.K.M