The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-05-25
The Now Horse Disease.

ut1ve, and w. II. Brown, oil OXFORD, Win
others. ......
-. s.-.-.,---Tr--
The New Horse Disease.
The st. Louis Glube-Democrat thus
tells Of the new horse disease which has
attacked hundreds Of horses in that city
and proved fatal in many cases: M
The first ind cations of the new dis
order were noticed Friday morning, in
the stables Of the Bellefontaine Street
Railway Company, corner of Tenth and
Herbert streets. SO marked We're the
SYMPTOMS Of disease that Dr.. s. b. Swift,
IS, was sent for at once, but so rapid
was the progress of distemper that two
infected animals died before his arri-
val. The mule, the most abused OF all
burden-bearing animals, was not ex.
empt, and among the animals seized
We're a number OF the long-eaSed iraCer-
nifty, who struggle with all the vicious
ness of their class against the familiar
lty OF their common loe.
The disease appeared to fasten upon
those horses that mad been standing tor
a time IN the stable, with Tree access of
food and water, but two horses in ac-
live service having been seizeu.. This
state OF affairs suggested at once Il local
calse-bad lood or Dal water. The first
sym mptoms manifest in the animal are
,
and u singular c0ntortion OF Tie eyes,
as though surrounding objects were fast
becoming Invisible. Beng seized with
violent paroAy SIN, the animal drops in
his stall, and is soon covered with per-
spiration, which streams from every pore.
During the SpaSm5 tue morse is III u per-
feet lfenZy. This is followed by par
alysis of the hind quarters and mani
lest curvature Of the neck and spine.
Yesterday forenoon Veterinary sur
geon Swift and DR.. Mudd made a post
mortem examination OF one OF the de-
ceased animals, when the following facts
were eticiJBd:
There was thickening of the mem
braile covering tire brain, and the mem
brane covering the spinal cord was IN a
state OF infiannation. AT this stage oil
the proceedings Dr.. Mudd retired, and
DR.. swift continued the examination.
Ihe renal organs were examined. The
stomach showed clearly the result of in
tlammatiOn, and was impacted with
food. Subsequently the brain and spi-
nal cord were subjected to. microscopic
Inspection, when Inflammation of a hlgh
degree, as well as effusion and soften
ing OF The substance OF the brain, were
plainly manifest. Also, fatty degenera-
tion.of the spinal channel was shown.
DR.. Swift is of the opinion that the i'm
mediate cause Of death is Inflammation
of the brain and its attributes, and that
the intlammatory state of the stomach
no matter what the same may have been
produced by) can not De taken as the
cause of death in any of the fatal cases.
Tie following reasons are advanced ior
This opinions:
In the Inflammation OF the stomach
and of the bowels the extremitieS are
cold, purging ensues, the pain is inter.
mlttent, The temperature OF the body va.
ries from 100 10 LILO degrees and the victim
dies comparatively easy when mortiiica-
ton has once set in. In the cases re.
corded the extremitles were warm, the
temperature of' the body per rectum
mostly normal and never exceeding HOY
degrees, while the animal died i'll spen
OF what appeared tetanlc spasm. Tne
symptoms manifested were sucn as to
give rise to the belief in many that the
anima!s had been poisoned, and with a
view OF discriminating this question the
stomach OF two of the dead norses will
be subjected to chemical analysis. The
Inflammation of the stomach would
give the impression OF the presence ol
the po son; meLastaSis from the stomach
to the brain.
This in the opinion of DR.. Swift, is 6
very reasonable theory. He expresses
no id ca as to the character of the poison
if 1t does exist, and is lotn to believe
that poison has been administered. The
anal j sis, however, will raise the veil o.
DOUBT. He at present has no theory tC
offer as to the cause Of Inflammation
DR.. Mudd WAS OF the opinion that The
disease was one of tue nervous system
and the examination confirmed MIN ii
the belief, although the symptoms Were
not OF a nature sufficiently grave to
predicate sucn intense frenzy. The dis
ease is considered by DR.. Swift not OF {
contagious nature, but precautionary
measures were recommended at thu
Belletontaine stables, and all the horses
those conyalescing and those free from
disease, were removed to an adjoinin,
lot and their food changed. Up to
O'Clock last night seven horses had died
and between twenty and twenty five an
imaIs had been sieZed, and the diSeas,
was spreading with fearful rapidfty.
is the belief OF many of the horsepei
that the disease is similar to tnat wfiicl
appeared about year ago in mild form
A .uost singular feature is made manites
in the disease, and if the disLemper is no
contagious, some portions of it are, 70
where horse is seized with the frenz
and commences to groan and yell, hi
cries are taken up by the well animal
and echoed back, even by those passin
the stables harnesscd to the cars. Tn
effect can possibly bo imagined. Dr
Swift reports two horses as having die,
that belonged to private individuals, an,
in both cases the symptoms were appa
rently the same as manifested i'll th
horses of the car company. Word wa
received last night of the death OF thre
horses at Rocky Branch, belonging to
butcher, in which there were evidence
of spinal trouble. MIR. Henry Over
a.alu L. ranartod Il, ha.ro Ioe+ 4 Lie l. o..a