Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-03-20
The Cattle Plague.

We make the following extract
from letter to the Tribune by Geo.
Shepard Page, of New Jersey, in the
hope that its suggestions will be
needed by our Centre county farm
ers. Perhaps there is no better way
of applying carbolic acid than by
mixing it with whitewash, and thor
oughly coating with it the inside of
all stables, pig pens and poultry
houses about the premises. This has
been our habit for years, and we give
it much credit for the uniformly good
health of all our stock.
In 1858 the Legislature of New York
in response to petitions from every
quarter, appointed commission and
appropriated funds to investigate the
causes of the disease and to eradicate
the terrible scourgc. Millions of dollars
had been lost to the country. The rap
i'll spread of the plague threatened an
Inhalation To the herds. The commits
sioners appointed were admirably fitted
TO execute the important and respon'
sible duties of the Office. They were
General Marccna X. Patrick, Lewis f..
Allen and John Stanton Gould. The
work was entered upon with energy.
Texas was visited by commissioners
from various States the raising and
...a &c catsi. 80, sL, vr.at rauCh.s "a az.
observed the manner of sending them
TO the stock market OF Kansas the
rail and steam transportation examin.
ed the stock yards in st. Louis, Cairo.
Chicago, Buffalo, Albany and New York
visited. The commissioners called to
their aid the ablest scientific talent, aud
were cordially seconded 10y the Metro
politAn Board of Health. Thousands
of infected cattle in the stock yards,
on dairy and other farms, were exam
ined and destroyed. Barns, stables
and yards were cleaned and disinfected.
The press was active in presenting TO
the public the recommendations Of the
commission.
Il was speedily discovered that by the
use OF the same agent first brought into
notice by the distinguished scientist,
William Crookes, of England, who
stamped out the cattle plague or "rind.
erpest" by its aid in the United King.
dom, equally gratifying results were
achieved here. Carbolic acid admins.
tered in n very dilute state, in the
drinking water, and sprinkled about
the barns, stables and yards, quickly
and thoroughly destroyed the infection.
In the preliminary report, page 30, the
commissioners stated that "carbolic
acid is an absolute and perfect disinfec-
tant. IL not only destroys the oder, but
kills the virus of the disease. We adj.
wise all farmers or drovers, who have
reason 10 suspect that their cattle have
been exposed TO infection, TO sprinkle
crude carbolic acid abundantly about
the yard where they are confined, and
to put some carbolic acid into the
water they drink, in the proportion Of
one part of pure acid with thrice its
weight Of sal soda to 1000 parts Of wa.
ter In the circular, Suggestions to
Farmers" under the head of means of
Prevention" they say: "When the dis.
ease is present in any neighborhood
every owner of cattle should be provid
ed with barrel of 10 per cent. crude
carbolic acid, and quart Of 90 per cent.
carbolic acid. The latter mixes with
water, the former does not. Let the
flows and droppines Of the cattle be
sprinkled with the crude acid, and GOV.
er the woodwork Of the stalls with the
same" In their final report under the
head Of Conclusions" page 30, they
stated: GAS direct results of investiga-
tions connected with this cattle disease,
some Of the most brilliant and useful
discoveries in sanitary science have
been achieved. Pleuro-pneumonia has
been successfully treated, and RENE
dial agent of incalculable value has
been brought into common use among
the fiocks and herds of the State. With
reasonable care on the part OF stock
owners in keeping themselves supplied
with carbolic acid, and using II freely
on their premises, there appears to be a
perfect immunity from diseases that
have hitherto carried inevitable des.
truction wherever they appeared.
Further than this, the observations OF
the commission warrant the belief that
this same agent possesses certain prop.
critics Of the greatest value when ap.
piled to "footrot" in sheep. From the
fact that carbolic acid acts specifically
upon all germs or seeds OF disease that
are propagated in manner similar 10
the spores or fungus parasites of the
Texas discase, IL i not too much TO
hope that II may be used successfully in
the treatment Of many diseases in ami.
mails heretofore regarded as incurable,
especially the "glandersr in horses.
HORSES should be watered in the
morning before they are fed. A full