The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-10-07
EPIzOOTIc

Has Appeared al AFouhu W s
noying this Way-A hrief History OF
the Disease, IT'S Former visit, ana tne
Enssts or that Yisit.
Our Associated Press dispatches indi:
cate the presence Of the epizootic among
horses in New York, Cincinnati and Phila.
delphia, and also the fact that itisspread.
ing rapidly. although so iaritisin rather
mild form. Pittsburgh also has several
cases, and we may expect to hear Of some
smiling in few days, at iarthest, among
our own animals.
Our merchants, liverymen, coal mer.
chants, in short all who did or did not
own horses, have lively recollection Of
the last visitation OF this equine disorder.
II appeared in this city about the middle
Of November, 1872; and became general
almost Immediately, retarding' business,
and causing incalculable Inconvenience,
and in some cases heavy losses. Oxen
we're resorted to as means OF transport.
ing and conveying all commodities and
necessities, and although this was slow
and cumbrous way Of doing business.
There was at least fortnight Of 1t, and
some OF the scenes and incidents OF the
''Epizootic Campaign" Of 1872 will now
be resurrected and narrated with increas.
ed interest. We believe the horses in the
stable OF Robert Luke were first attacked
in 1872; soon after the street car horses,
and then the disease became general.
Coal could hardly be procured at
any price for few days, goods
could not be removed TO and from the de.
pots and wharf. The Adams Express
Company was embarrassed temp.
orarily, the mills suffered great
Inconvenience, in short, the whole city,
in common with all the Union, TO use the
parlance Of the day, was "paralyzed,"
When the oxen were introduced the situa.
ton was only relieved, not cured nor ma.
lterially altered. TWAS nearly as cheap 70
be idle as to employ the boyines. The
above condition OF things continued for
about O fortnight when the horses began
to recover from their attack, and soon
things began TO move sgain, and since that
time we have not been annoyed by o gen.
eral visit OF the distemper, although there
have been some cases OF II.
This disease is thus briefly described by
DR.. Williams, OF Edinburgh, and recog'
nized authority upon diseases OF horses:
DR.. Williams says the symptoms OF the
disease are dry, staring coat; the legs
: ears and nose are cold, with redness and
ldryness OF the lining Of the inside nostrll
There is sneezing and hacking cough
: and shortly dehuxion from one or both
nostrils OF at first thin, more or less acrid
mucous. The eyes are heavy, conjunction
injected and sometimes yellow, and tear
} how over the face. The symptoms increase
: in intensity for two or even three days
The discharge from the nose becomes tisky
and more proiuse. In some cases the con
(. junction OF one or both eyes is actually In
D | ilsmed, as marked by opacity and imper
!. feet vision, or actual blindness. The AMI
NAL heat NAV rise to l04 or los degrees +
: The cough then becomes deep, sonorous
3 painful and paroxysmal, convulsing the
, whole body, occasionipg impatience
stamping OF the feet and great distress
The mouth Is hot and clammy, and th,
desire for water Is intensified. The heat
J | Is generally depressed, and the animal Il
/ made to move with difficulty, and wheI
compelled he does 80 in an unsteady
manner, swaying from side to sidt
as il partially paralyzed. Soreness o
. the throat Is indicated by the pudding o
} the food'-that II, the food Is chewed and
I elected from the mouth-or by its return
Through the nostrils. In the latter cast
an attempt to swallow excites q violent I'll
J Of coughing. In period Of time varying
from three to five days the symptoms begir
10 sbate In intensity. The discharge IRON
/ the nose becomes thick, yellow and pro
fuse; the cough looser, moist and not &C
paroxysmal; the action o! the heart Is less
ierky; the appetite improves; the throal
can be handled without causing the ami
, NAL TO cough, and in from twelve to Ill
, teen days strength is generally recovered.
/ When the critical stage has passed the de
) bility Ia generally very extreme and the
) loss Of flesh most marked. Indeed, 1t Is {
common observation that a horsein which
! the fever has abated and eonvalescenct
commenced looks as II the flesh ha6
] melted of his bones." @
} Predisposing causes may be summarized
: as follows: Animals crowded together Ii
; damp, ill.ventilated and otherwise I'M
healthy situations. These are generally
/, the first to suffer from influenza. In then
It commits the greatest havoc. Young
horses are more predisposed than those o.
/ maturer years; still the old suffer severely
! and are often carried away. Sex has nc
3 influence. Neglect OF every description
as we'll as bad food and overwork, by de
bilitating, render animals subject 10 severe
! and early attacks Of the disease. But nc
amount OF care will exempt them from 1t
! as It appears in all stables alike. Fea
8 horses suffer from more than one attack
!. during one seacon; many cases relapse
3 but one attack in no degree protects
r against another at some future period.
We have not been able so far TO dis
. cover any cases Of the disorder in THU
> city or vicinity yet, but Us proximity TO vi
) indicates that we can hardly expect to sui
. fer immunity from 1t. Areporter OF this
paper interviewed several livery men and
r others yesterday, but found no instances
) superintendent LOTUS, OF the Citizens
Railway, says he has no cases. The Elm
t Grove has none, and there are none among
farm horses. 1t Is not, apparently, very
serious this season, and 1t has been found
. that horses can be worked moderately
while suffering from it, and in the event
. that II does visit US, we can feel assured
, that the scenes Of 1879 will not be repeat
ed.