Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1872-12-12
The Nature of the Epidemic
Among Horses. :

= - II " e-sEli 5a1
siiss = tom. sa94lG =s.K 81 .h3i5l
One of the good results which we
hope to sex; brought about by the epi.
demic disease which has been prevail
ing among horses is closer and more
uniform and scientific attention to the
diseases of the lower animals. At pres
ent and hitherto this has been left, as a
rule, to ignorant pretenders, and well
educated veterinary surgeon has been
rarely met with in our country.
The pathology of the disease has
been studied to a limited extent only.
Hence we are not quite positive about
the nature of the complaint. The editor
of the British Medical Journal treats it
as an ordinary visition of influenza.
He says - 4 -ife-)4i ea.5 s'9sel u
The very severe epidemic among
horses which is reported from Aiderf-
ca and Canada is of a kind well known
here. 1t is, IN fact, an epidemic influ!
enza. This epizootic is catarrhal af-
fectfon resemb bling, in all its symptoms
and Its course, the epidemic influenza
of poor humanity. It runs definite
course: it Is accompanied BY severe
nasal catarrh, general fever and debil-
ity; in severe cases the lungs and pleu-
rae are apt. to be affected. 1t requires
the same kind of nursing in animals as
in men. Rest within doors, q light,
nourishing diet, mild febrifuge medi-
cine, if any, and attention to the local
troubles of the throat and air-passages.
A very small proportion of the cases are
fatal, but the epidemic is apt to prove
very troublesome in European ,experiE
ence, by its widespread and debifitatfng
character ai,, = p t7s'1;'5f'i9 10 asisfs
In this city the deaths have been
many. DR.. John Wyche, who exam
ined number of bodies, has stated that
the disease was specific poisoning Of
the blood, and that the symptoms OF
dropsy were caused by mphysemial, or
distention of the body. ser its
members, from air accumulated in
natural cavities. There was no sign OF
water accumulated in the cavities, as
in the case Of dropsy.. The horses dis
sected were swollen about the legs,
body, and head, and all sof their inter-
nal organs, and even the muscles of the
legs, were ina state Of putrefaction.. - p
DR.. Wyehestated that he had under
his care about eight hundred horses,
and, having treated them according. to
their symptoms, without regard to
the disease, heohad lost only nine, and
that Mr. Malcolm, out of one hundred
and fifty horses, had lost only ,one.n In
this view of the new phase of the dis
ease, the Sanitary Committee of the
Board of Health of New York in so far
as it opposes the popular idea, that the
swelling is due 10 dropsy, in It's report
says that the new form of sickness re.
semhles seurVy is-fi1e thurman subject.
''The blood is so deteriorated that it es.
capes the vessels into the cellular It's
sues under the skin, so as to cause large
eechymosis, giving rise to bloody dis
charges. The red globules are in state
OF disentegration, and the serum es-
Gaping from the. vessels, collects under
the skin in the most dependent portions
OF the body, causing the appearances
known as drpsy." ep
The destruction of the integrity OF
the blood seems TO be largely due to the
effect of the preceding fever especially
in the case of horses which have previ-
ously been poorly fed, overworked, land
kept in ill-ventilated and filthy stables.
Another and powerful exciting cause
is excessive. medicationp during Cthe
fever, and too early exposure ito cold,
wet, and fatigue, with'a poor and innu-
tritious diet during conva1escence.
These fatal complications are mostly
found in horses which have been sick
under the circumstances above mem
toned, and rarely in horses which have
been carefully kept previous to the at
tack, and well attended during and
after the fever. Horses convalescing
from this epidemic should have high
ly nutritious and easily7iigested diet.
To counteract the tendency to, scurvy,
iron compounds are useful, and such
food should be especially selected as is
rich in the normal saline constituents
ofthe blood, and in any lacteous COM
pounds. Such are the various dubious
roots, namely, turnips, carrots, ruta
baga, potatoes, etc. These, to be read
lily masticated and dlgested, shouId be
boiled and mixed with bran or other
mash.
Naturally that large class of.epidenli.
ologists whstrace all such extended, ,ep.
idemics to the action of infusoria, fungi
sporules, or inferior microscopic ORGAN. /
isms of some kind, will enndeavolr tc
discover in this striking e, example yel o.
progressive disease fresh proofs of theil
theories. So far all such Studies as ! ap sl,.
piled to this instance have proven ia
tile, and we are really no nearer an. un
] derstanding of what the. real cause i.
than we ever were, and may as wei
4 take refuge in Sydenham's "epideini,
] constitution Of the air'' as in any late
j guess.-[P Philadelphia Medical and SIR
gical Reporter for Mouena5er. 10 7D'a iii'
Liberian colonization is not in al
cases successful. The Norfolk Virgin
ian mentions the arrival there of twen
ty-fve colored people on their way bacl
I from Liberia to North Carolina; th
remains of company of near two hun