The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1872-11-09
THE EPIZOOTIC.
Rapid Spread of TIE Horse Distemper
Throughout the Eastern and Several |
Western states.

ON, " oiioio tiLlo hEo, tS prevailing III
Toronto, is now rapidly spreading East
and West, and causes great hindrance
to equine traffic. The telegraph wires
have been burdened during the week
with dispatches from Buffalo, Roches-
ter, New York, Brooklyn, Boston, De
troit, Cleveland, and every city of any
size East, announcing the prevalence
of the plague. In Rochester the dis
ease has assumed fatal character. A
dispatch dated Saturday says:
Z" More fatal cases of the horse dis
ease are reported this morning, than
during the whole time since the disease
first appeared. The streets arc desert
ed of horses, but wagons and carts
drawn by men are plenty The express
companies announce that no more
goods will be received. The railroad
companies cannot deliver freight. Re
ports from the Erie Canal, particularly
between this city and Buffalo, are very
discouraging- Many boats have been
tied up, nearly all having sick horses
Many have arrived with dead horses on
board. The towing companies adver-
tise that they will furnish horses as far
as possible, but will not be responsible
for any lack of service from them. One
of the baggage delivery companies are
using hand car on the street railway
| track. :"
AT Buffalo business suffered consid-
erably from the withdrawal of horses
affected by the malaria.
! a Boston telegram dated Saturday,
says: every few horses are in the
| ctpopfo A ii of hn IL, ~ ",
requiring horses are at a standstill,
and suffering much in consequence.
| Handcarts are in demand. Numerous
wagons are drawn by men. The only
encouraging feature is that few cases
prove fatal.
In Brookly and jersey City the mum.
Der OF horses attacked Is great, but
| there have, as yet, been no fatal
| results.
The area of the disease now extends
from Bangor, Me-, to Detroit and other
points in Michigan.
The disease made its appearance in
New York Oh Saturday, and in less
than one week about twenty thousand
horses had been attacked. There is
hardly a public stable III the city which
is not affected, while majority of the
valuable horses owned by individuals
are for the time being useless to their
owners. Many of the car lines and
stage routes have been forced to draw
off most of their vehicles, and to lessen
the trips Of the remainder, and even
with this relief the horses remaining
well are overworked. The livery and
boarding stables have also been attack
ed, and a large number of trucks are
thrown out of use or drawn by animals
afflicted with the distemper. The dis
ease has begun to exhibit new and
alarming phases which are looked on
as highly dangerous. The infamma-
ton of the throat extends to the lungs
and rapidly grows more alarming, and
the animal pants for breath, and be-
comes quite cold at the extremities.
This seems to be warning OF a fatal
ending of the malady.
The trotters and racers stabbed in
the city seemed to have escaped the
disease. American Girl has almost re-
covered from her slight attack.
At least six hundred cars have been
withdrawn from the city railway lines.
In this branch alone the disease throws
| al IllOuSdDu nlGu out Oh WOfk.
The hackmen have almost trippled
fares for passengers, in utter violation
of the law, and refuse to carry those
refusing to pay the illega! rates.
Speaking of the disease, the New
York Times says it begins with la
bored, half-suppressed cough, which
rapidly increases in violence, and is ac-
companied by fever, intense heat of
the mouth, whether dry or moist, and
a running from the nose and eyes. The
horse attacked refuses all food, but
evinces no disposition to lie down. OF
the modes of treatment, homeopathy
appears to BEN most general favor and
to have been used more successfully
This mode of treatment consists in the
administering of five drops of aconite,
Immediately on the discovery of infec-
ton, licorice being also given, to clear
are continued in moderote doses
until the animal RECEIVERS or 9th
erwise. The allopathic system
is more varied, and, of course
advises larger doses. Mustard is APP
piled to the throat, interior and exte-
rior, and TIE patient is except up" by
stimulants. In other cases tar and
bella donna are given. The homno-
pathlc plan, as already stated, finds
more favor, chiefly on the ground that
the doses are less frequent and bulky,
and the horse is less worried by the
treatment A singular phase of the
disease is the indiscriminate character
of its victims, no precautions of room,
light or ventilation being proof against
it. Preventives of every kind have
been tried, but so far, with but mod
crate success. In fashionable Fifth
avenue livery and boarding stable a
small quantity of sulphate of iron
thrown into water trough has operated
successfully as a preventive, and in this
and other places prompt treatment of
all suspicious cases has thus far been
proof against the inroads of the cpl
| denis.
The veterinary surgeons define the
epidemic variously, but all agree that
it's origin is traceable to some unusual
| atmospheric influence. A veteran
horse dealer from Rochester, stated to
our reporter yesterday that in his thirty
years experience he had seen hundreds
of cases, but not one of them which had
resulted fatally. He gave it as his opin-
ion that the disease was a mild form of
lung fever.
From the Rochester Democrat, Oct 81.
The Canadian horse disease first
showed itself here to any extent last
Friday. 1t soon attacked nearly every