The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-19
THE HORSE MYSTERY.

The Spread OF the New Dfsease-The
Equine ssWhat Is IL !''-The Diste mper
In the Livery Stables-The Disorder
Among the Truck Horses-New Facts
and Theories.
The new horse disease is extending it, sphere
OF operations and ID becoming greater mystery
than ever. The horse doctors who do not agree
as TO their comprehension OF the matter, are pur-
suing the usual tactics OF their profession prac-
tised also on men or horses, OF denying the exist
ence OF anything which they do not understand
They do not understand the prevalent horse
disease. and 80 they deny IL altogether. or where
they cannot absolutely deny, they ignore it or
p0ohpoO II.
One horse doctor answered the HERALD repre-.
sentative that 1t was simply the usual spring
lever incident TO this time OF year. Another doc
tor asserted that 1t was only the 'pinkeye" in q
modified form. third said that the seat OF the
disease Is entirely IN the stomach Of those
anected-a species Of Indigestion. Only one had
the irankness TO own that the complaint puzzled
HIM, and he did not know that anybody exactly
understood IT,"
The horse doctors dtfrer also in their prOgnosis
as well as IN their diagnosis. Soms OF the pater-
nifty declare that the disease Is OF an essentially
mild type, runs its course in o very few days,
never Kills, really amounts to nothing at ali and
that the horse does not suffer 1t all; that 1t
merely feels dull, languid, under the
weather. rather sleepy, rather dispirited like .
ward politician "between elections.n Other doctors
however, insist that in this disease the horse
Suners intensely with an aching pain alternating
with colo spasns, and that 1t has already proved
IN many instances iatal.
disease is form of hang fever Another is equally
certain that II Is case OF Catarrhal fever. TINS
latter opinion is rapidly gaming ground and finds
many advocates among the owners OF the horses
affected VINO are having their animals treated Tor
this complaint
The number OF horses Affected on the Seventh
avenue and Broadway CITY railroad line has dim
lnlshed somewhat during the last TWO days. The
horses affected have on this line been worked
throughout their Sickness but only to q limited
degree, making only one or two round trips day
during their illness. The situation on the Third
avenue, the Sixth avenue and the Eighth avenue
lines remains about the same.
A representative OF the HERALD has visited va
rious OF the livery stables IN the city during the
spread among them, and IL increasing, rather than
diminishing.
lhe stable of Mr. Beck, NO. 81 Wooster street.
has been gone through WITH as he expresses it,
with the disorder, the majority OF MS horses having
been seriously anected by It, though they nave all
recovered ihere the horses have been ''let Sc
verey alOne;" everything has been trusted to ma
ture; nothing mas been done by the doctor, and
the ots medtcat'1r nature mas been indicated
The stables Of MIR. Crow in Sullivan street, have
also undergone rome. the visitation. though to com
nave experienced the disease.
Nesblt Ruden. whose stables are in Washing
ton street, nave been large sufferers; the majority
OF their horses having been severely attacked.
In this establishment the characteristics OF ca
tarrhal fever have been strongly marked.
also suffered, all their horses having been attacked
Numerous other instances could be cted In tact,
out OF twenty-one establishments visited only two
In the stables No. SIT Washington street q
rather peculiar case mas occurred. horse, one
BY the disorder within q period OF two weeks.
The hrst time the animal was sick Tor six days.
In the second case the attack lasted for half that
fer almost precisely as anected with quinsy sore
throat He refused 1ood altogether, avoided water,
but did not lose nesh In every case but this the
1ma anected became very thin, but in this instance
the horse was after the second attack even eshier
than AZ first. His joints, however, became remark
ably sti6; he was unable to move. 1t was as II he
mad been stricken with rheumatism. lie ala not
seem to suffer any, but was throughout the at
tacks as lnanimate as log.
The horse the day or the night before Ia perfect
~ well; when the next feeding time comes he VIII
not eat; he vii! not drink; his lower hind limbs
order is in full iorce till at last 1t ceases almost Al
peared.
One strange fact has been verified by experience
during the last few weeks. The disorder attack!
only horses OF certain age. Young horses ant
horses below eight Or nine years are compare
VI
Ceptible to 1t than males.
Out OF sixty-three horses affected by the disor
der iOrty-0nc were oyer eleven years OF age and
eleven were over sine years OF age
Out Of severity one nt.ses 0Hected on the Eighth
avenue line nity-twO were over twelve years O
age, and none OF the balance were less than seven
years.
Out OF the first sixty three above mentioned
forty-ive were males, and of the second set OF
seventyone there were 1ty-fO males thus serv-
ing to show the correctness OF the general deduc-
tons.
Mr. Beck, who has been all his life horse jockey,
insists that IN che majority Of cases the complaint
Is SIMPLY very bad cold OWING to the sudden
and great change Ia the weather, from an open
and mild winter to the intense cold OF last week.
He holds that chest protectors could be rem
dered available, though others differ altogether
from this opinion.
In all cases, SO far, the Kidneys have been Of
fected and the l0ns have been CONSTRUCTED; there
has been shrinking Of the lower parts and an
inclination on the part OF the animal to lie down
Nitre and satpetre have been given in all cases
with advantage.
The real nature Of the disease stlll remains, 4
not absolutely mystery, at least decidedly an I'M.
settled point, and It's future seems to be equally
uncertain. Some say that the worst Is over, while
Others, equally experienced, affirm that the worst
Is yet to come and that the new disease is yet des
tined to become as widespread, If not as destruc
tive, as the epizoOtic.