Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-12-22
An Earthly Formation in Nebraska
Which Is Death to Horses.

S. G. Gibble, well-known farmer of
Dakota county, arrived in the city yes
terday. He tells remarkable story
regarding poisonous mineral sub
stance which exudes from the earth in
certain portions of that county, and
which is death to men and horses if
taken within the stomach. The sub
stance Mr.. Gibble describes as resem-
bling alkali, but materially differing
from it in taste and poisonous effects.
The existence of this material in the
soil has been known for some time, but
it has only been within the past year
that its effects on men and horses has
become known, the many deaths
among the equines being ascribed to
other causes. During the past season
Mr.. Gibble has lost several good horses
from this cause. When the second
trouble to bots or worms, and used
remedies for these troubles. Instead
OF improving, however, the horse con-
tinued to suffer from some internal
trouble, which bafiied the skill of vete-
rinary physicians, and it finally refused
food altogether and died.
To satisfy himself Mr.. Gibble opened
the body Of the animal and found but
four bots or worms, but still the ston-
ach was almost entirely eaten away.
He was still at loss to determine the
cause of this, as, together with others,
he had never considered the snowy in
crustations appearing in places upon
the ground other than kind of harm
less alkali. One day he was passing
newly-cut bluff from which this sub
stance appeared III considerable guam
titles, when curiosity prompted him TO
taste it. He only touched his tongue,
and found it rather sweet in taste, and
at first apparently harmless. In an
hour or two, however, his tongue began
to swell and burn, and this inf1amma-
ton continued two or three days, re-
sisting all soothing applications. Final
ly the inflammation subsidized, almost
as quickly as it came, and his tongue
and mouth gradually healed.
A few weeks previous to this, james
Wescott, farmer living four miles
west of Dakota City, was attacked with
a peculiar internal ailment, He was
i'll two or three days and then suffered
intense pain for a week, wnen he died.
All possible Efforts were made to relieve
him, but none of the remedies used
seemed to affect anything. A post
norton examination disclosed his
stomach to be much inhamed and eat
en- away in places. The surgeons pro-
nounced it case of poisoning, but by
what particular poison they were I'M
able to discover. Mr.. Gibble says that
he is satisfied, as ere the members of
Wescott's family, and his friends, that
the unfortunate man had been drinking
water from slough where the poison
Gus formation existed.
A rather strange fact connected with
this poisonous incrustation is that cat
tie like it and lick it up without being
injured. Gibble thinks that the pei
sonous properties are taken into the
stomachs of the horses in water form
ing in pools on the ground where this
material appears during wet weather,
as all the animals he has lost have been
taken sick during or after heavy falls
of rain. At such time number of
animals throughout that section af the
county are always are laid up, and
many die, despite the most strenuous
precautions. AS yet no remedy has
been found. A successful antidote for
the poison would be alike blessing to
the farmers and bonanza for its dis
coverer L Omaha Bee