, 1878-04-05
Prevention of Animal Disease.

,rhipct of the prevention Of disease in
animals, and gives some valuable hints
worthy of the attention OF all live stock
owners. After alludipg to the wide dam
ACE caused by disease, the article says:
sThere is no doubt that the losses of
sheen. swine and cattle, that might be
nreyented by proper precautions and
rore amount to one.tifth of the whole
~alne of these classes of stock. One
hundred million of dollars yearly would
not more than cover these losses. The
greatest misfortune is that much disease
p spread by infection and contagion
among herds and flocks that would other.
wise escape. Animals are subject to all
tbe dangerous influences which affect the
health of human beings. Miasma, ma
laria, exposure to sudden and severe
changes of temperature; the consump-
tion of innutritious or indigestible food
Ar impure water; overfeeding, underfeed-
inc, or irregular feeding; exposure to
foul air or flth-all these affect mans
beasts as quickly as they would injuri,
ously affect himself The instinct OF
self. preservation and the well-known re-
sults of these causes tend greatly to Sc,
cure mankind from danger from them,
and where the individual fails to preserve
himself the public safety prompts effects
i've legal measures to compel him to OBJ
serve proper precautions. But as regard.
our domestic animals, when an individ-
usl fails to preserve his own property il
is only in few cases that any legal pro.
visions are in force for the protection. OF
that of his neighbors. Thus disease
among cattle of all kinds may spread un-
checked through an extensive district
from one seed bed Of pestilence and con-
tagion. 1t is time that this risk which
farmers are obliged to encounter should
be removed. We do not propose, how.
ever, at this time to consider this view OF
the case, but only to offer suggestions
which are pertinent at this season for the
preservation of the health of animals
that may be exposed to danger. The
present season is peculiarly full of risk
II is one when sudden changes of tenn
perature occur; when the surface soil is
highly charged with decomposing vege'
table matter, the gases from which are
absorbed by water or mingled with the
atmosphere, and thus have an active ef-
feet upon the systems of animals; and
also, q period when the herbage is hard
nutritious, indigestible, or positively
hurtful from partial decomposition. The
stratum of air resting upon meadows and
pastures, either drained or undrained, but
more particularly those in the latter con-
dition, is filled with miasmatic or mala.
rial germs which are breathed by ami
mails and enter into their circulation
The water they drink is also highly
charged with these minute destructive
organisms. Although these may not Of
themselves in all cases induce disease
directly, yet they enfeeble the vitality
and create q more sensitive condition
in which animals become an easy
prey to contagion or infection. Human
beings, under these circumstances, avoid
all dangerous or deleterious articles Of
food or drink; they ventilate, disinfect
and purify their dwellings,; they observe
caution as to changes of clothing ano
fortify themselves with medicines or ton
les against the approachesof disease, ano
avoid with greatest care all danger Of
contagion. But what owners of animals
observe these precautionsl Very few, il
any. Nothing is done until the anima
is stricken, and then the worst has already
happened. To treat an animal that gives
no sign until it is at the point OF death il
useless.
There is no help for these cases but
in precaution. If such sanitary rules are
observed in the stables and yards as are
prscticed in dwellings, the danger of dis
ease would be greatly reduced. If pre-
cautions as to food and water were taken
II unwholesome pastures we're left unoc
cupied, if cleanliness in feeding were
practiced, and no animal was permitted
much less obliged, to drink or eat filth o.
any kind, the natural robustness anc
hardness of our cattle would carry then
safely through multitude of milder dan
gers. At this change Of the seasons
when so much dead matter is going to de
cay,itis necessary to exercise great watch
fulness in regard to these things. No
only 80, but the animals themselves neeo
close watching, that the first indication
that there is something amiss may be OBJ
served, and immediate treatment bt
given. In case anything is observed tc
go wrong, the first thing to be done is tt
clear out the bowels by an active saline
purgative-8 to 10 ounces of EPSON salts
is generally the most effective and the
safest that can be given. After this, co
pi"us drinks of very thin Cruel of bran
linseed-meal or oatmeal, may be giver
with benefit Asa rule bleeding is to bt
strictly avoided as dangerous resource
and an almost, if not altogether, fata
mistake.