The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-10-31
The Cana{iian Horse Disease.

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Some time since we called attention
among the horses of Toronto. anC
! tionary measures by horse owners II
! This city. The danger of the Canadian
di order reaching New York was ap'
narently so remote at the time that il
is OF to be wondered at that oul
warning scarcely occasioned q ripple
on the surface of the public attention
but far enough away as the trouble
seemed fortnight since it is now al.
| most at our doors. Ina space of time
SO short as to prove the disease cpl
demic it has spread from Toronto tc
Montreal on the one side and to West
ern New York on the other, On
Monday last it appeared in Buffalo
and on Thursday broke out in ROch-
ester. AS all our accounts concurred
that the animals in which it is mosi
likely to be developed are those en-
ployed in hard work and exposed to
inclement weather we may expect il
to travel rapidly along the ealine OF the
canals and be in ALBANY before many
days. From there any accident may
bring the plague into this citv9 Else
where we give very full information
from the papers published in the cities
where the disease now RACES as to- the
nature of the ailment, its cause, syfnp-
toms. method of cure, and SO on,
which is in brief, about as follows =
The disorder first developed itself in
Toronto, W here it reached such height
that the city cars ceased rnnning, the
hackstands were deserted, and all bus
mess depending OH drayage came to
a stand still. From Ton Onto the in
fection. spread throughout all the cad-
jacent country and thus worked its
way to Ottawa and Montreal, spread
ing meanwhile through all the neigh
boring towns and villages In West
ern New York it also manifests, itself
as above mentioned. At Niagara
Falls it is particularly violent, hardly
a sound horse remaining; of its ray
ages at Buffalo city paper says, eThe
disease, which at first was confined to
a few animals, is spreading throughout
the city :" and in Rochester another
paper says, "Some valuable horses
used in drawing railroad freights have
already died. The disease has not we
believe, yet appeared among the hor-
ses of the Street Railroad Company,
but when it does we may expect to see
a suspension of business In that line
as there has been in Toronto" From
all accounts the disease which the
veterinary surgeons term epizo0tic
Influenza, is q severe cold, and is best
treated by rest warmth, drvness and
soft food, with an occasional dose OF
medicine such as elsewhere mentioned
in this Issue. When taken in time and
treated on these general principles the 4
disease is far from being necessarily
fatal; but should it unfortunately
reach New York there are two of its
incidents which will make its ravages
is affected in the slightest degree, must
have absolute rest until recovery, and
one of the best preventives is to keep
the animal closely stabbed in damp or
wet weather. As the horses OH the
city car lines are employed at all hours
and in all weathers, it Is a moral cer-
tainty that they will be the first at
lacked, and must at the first symptom |
be taken out of harness or there will |
be no chance of saving them. Even |
IN the best tended animals, as, for in~
stance those of the fire brigade in |
Toronto, it was found the disease
would develop itself; but these cases
ire exceptional, the rule being the
greater the exposure the greater the
'isk. So thoroughly was this estab-
ished in Toronto, that it was ordered
by the Fire Commissioners that the
lorses of the brigade should be taken
Jack to the stable as soon as they had
irawn the engines co the fire and kept
until il was time to bring
he steamers back. Considering how
much exposed the great majority of
lorses in New York are ON the car
md omnibus lines, in carts, hacks,and
it can be seen that any intro
iuctIon of the disease would almost
certainly result in the same state on
N enlarged scale as has occurred in
he Canadian cities.--N.l Z. World. 2nd