Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1877-10-19
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
Wbaf - Uurrain, or the Texan Caftl
R1nWre


PlaNEc
We notice the disease, whose name is
placed at tho head of this article, has
shade its appearance in Illinois, Ohio
New York, Tennessee, and probably in
other states, and that northern veterinary
surgeons, having little experience in the
treatment Of the malady, have mistaken
ITS cause and character The Oldest
record of this plaugc is in Egypt, where
IT is indigenous in cotton region as II is
10 our ses-land cotton climate from the
tide water district OF Virginia TO the Rio
Grande. Before the exodus OF the
israeltes ii is thus referred to. IF thou
refuse 10 let the Hebrews go, and wit
hold them still, behold the hand Of the
Lord is upon thy cattle which is in the
field, upon the horses, upon the asses,
upon the camel, upon the OK and p,,on
the sheep, there shall be greviGus muir.
rain; and the Lord shall s.,ever between
the cattle of Israel and the cattle Of
Egypt and there snail nothing die of all
Inc children of Israel. And the Lord
hid That 'suing on the morrow"
lh.',s plauge is mentioned or described
by Honor, HippOcrates, Plutarch, Lvy
aud Virgil while its history from the
aye OF Virgil to the present day is exceed
ingly interesting. IL was the prevalence
af highly contagious and fatal cattle
fever in Europe about one hundred and
twenty-five years ago that caused the
first veterinary school to be established
on the continent, The true cause of this
malarial disease was not known until
quite recently; and only those physicians
who make it part Of their professional
duty TO keep posted in the rapid progress
Of science appear to understand the
problem. Veterinary doctors in Illinois
and Ohio have very sapiehJly told the
public that the numerous ticks on
southern cattle (well known to many o.
our readers) produce the fever ,yorrup.
lion aud death. They night as well
ascribe the manger - the dog to the bite
of fleas, or the cot and ilukes in the liver
Of the sheep to ticks in its wool. Men
often practice the healing art on farm
aCOck with little reading aud less science.
The light of truth comes not when the
blind lead the blind, but from systematic
study and research.
Texas cattle, full of the germs of MUIR
rain, brought TO Louisiana, as TO New
Orleans market, do not give the disease
10 cattle there, because the local climate
a. malaEia like that OF Texas Bring
these cattle to the healthy, non-malarial
districts of Tennessee, and southern
organisms of pestilenee find new and
fresh pastures, and cattle susceptible TO
poisons Southern cattle improve in a
healthier climate, while northern animals
die from southern centagion
One form of sickness is contagious, an
other is not. We shall try to make this
question of cOntagiOn PLAIN 10 our agri-
cultural friends. Cows drinking water
from springs or brooks that have copper,
lead or arsenic salts in solution, IN a
mineral district, may poison, little by
little. their blood, milk and flesh. Such
milk sickness is not contagious for the
reason that no deleleriOus m0lecule OF
metal earth or gas can multiply itself,
and mass indefinitely IRON one animal or
pers0n 10 another. With living germs
whether plant or animal, the case is
different. All parasites, whether visible
like nits and lick, or invisible like
trickinm, not only spread from one post
10 another, but multiply their species
with astonishing rapidity. The farmer
should know that every contagiOn and
malarial disorder breeds true to its
species. 80 that the organisms OF yellow
fever can not produce cholera, nor the
germs Of cholera give existence to yellow
fever. Murrain is thing of lire, and
should be dealt with accordingly. In.
fected animals should be wholly isolated,
cleansed BY cathartics and strengthened
nv strong bitters, as a decOctiOn Of cherry
willow and poplar bark.
Many parasitic contagious are expelled
by sulphur; and to give cattle, sheep,
hogs and hsrses a lick Of equal parts OF
salt and sulphur placed within their
reach. throws the sulphur remedy into
their systems to act as a preventive or
cure. For persons laboring under any
common malarial disease, one may take
equal parts Of sulphur and cream Of
tartar, in moderate doses, morning and
evening.
Draining all swamps will do much to
purity the atmosphere, and lesson its
humidity. A useful book might be
written on murrain climate Of the south.
drawing the line that bounds it on the
north from James river in Virginia TO
the western bounds of Texas. In another
article we will cite authorities illustra-
tive of this line -AashUilie American.
tIeaninE seed Wheat.