Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-09-26
The Sicsmess Among the Horses.

The StcisnesS among the Horses.
The epidemic among the horses mentioned in this
department week ago continues undated, and
probably nearly quite quarter of the horses of
the city are more or less disabled, nfcting incon-
venience and loss upon iverymeD, truck men and
others employing large nun bers Of horses and more
or less seriously interfering with the movement of
merchandise delivery of wood and other business In
which horses employed But the disease is by no
means of serious character as statements which
have appeared in other of the city papers would in
dictate For instance, the Dispatch the other even-
ing stated upon the author ty, it said, of a we'll
known hackman, that there had been $50 deaths
from the disease in this city in the past two weeks
We think the Dispatch must have misunderstood
the hickman, as the statement greatly exagerates
the mortality, az ascertaned by inquiries of veter
mary surgeons, iverymen. hackmen and others.
Mr.. alexander, superintendent of the street rail-
way, upon which nearly 200 horses are employed,
informs that of forty odd which have been sick
81 are convalescing, not death. Dr. Berkman says
of nearly 400 horses he has treated, net one has
died. Other veteriusrians make almost equally IA
vorable reports In fact all appear to have correct
ly diagnosed the disease when first brought to their
attention, and to have been most successful in
treating 1t. But still stronger testimony that the
mortality is in no way alarming, il that
of of the propretors of the rendering company,
by whom the removed, who states that
the average dsiy deaths are only and q small per
cent in this city against between and In Mime
apos, and but little if any larger than they were in
the hot season in July and August. He also states
that the deaths are generally OF old and decrepit
finals, the young speedily recovering if given any
thing like decent treatment. When it is remembered
that the mortality from natural causes alone would
be almost If not quite two day, the idea of any
scare at the present. death rate is preposterous.
When the disease first appeared and before it's char
acter was understood, the mortality was greater,
from the fact that horses were continued at work
until too late to effect Thus John St.Aubin,
each other but since having called in veterinarian,
though the disease has gone through his entire sta
BILE and several horses have been and still quite
sick, not a death has occurred.
As said last week essential, Is absolute rest
from all work upon the first appearance of the die
ease Work ia almost sure death Rest, good care
aud treatment almost as certain re ,oyery.
The disease Is nothing more or less than q fever,
partaking in different of the character OF in
termittent purd and typhoid and that all may know
when their horses suffering from either, we give
briefly the symptoms of each, from Schaeffer's man
ual of veterinary:
Intermittent sets in with Ianguor trembling
and chill the hair standing on end, the tongue is
dry, urine watery and transparent breathing lsbored,
heat sets in, which lasts for Short less
definite PERIOD after which the animal seems again
before except feeble. The attack returns again
in two, three or more days.
Putrid-The animal is weak and sad. the mouth
filed with fetid saliva, the eyes are half closed, dim
and waery, the breathing is hurried and the breath
has fetd smell, the dung is solt,
and dark coored If the disease gets worse the an
ima wants to lie down all the time. and finally does
not SO sgain; diarrhoea having csdaverous
smell sets in. the legs head and other parts of the
body become swollen: the pulse is generally small
soft, quick and changeable; the more hurried the
pulse the more dangerous the condition of the ami
NAL.
Typhoid This disease sets In with Incidence, lam
guor and lstlessness loss Of appetite, gritting Of
the tseth the head Is leaning upon the crib the pa
tients do not heed any one calling to them; close
their eyelids half, the ears remain in pendant and
unchanged position; the animals walk as If drunk
and sometimes fall down. The pulse is hurried
scarcely perceptble and frequently intermitted the
discharges of dung and urine are at first scanty bat
the seventh ninth day diarrha sets in and the
disease terminates in putrid typhus.
The latter form is that most prevalent here. All
the result Of bad air. sultry heat after long ran
foundations, bad keep, unwholesome sheds or sta
hles The bad air. sultry hest, and the inunda-
ions have all been experienced here this season and
hence the disease A change for the better has al
ready taken place In these conditions. The air has
become clear and cool, and will steadily grow purer
bringing with 1t gradual disappearance of the dis
ease. But in the meantime we reiterste advice
Upon the first appearance Of any of the symptoms
above enumerated give the horse perfect rest and
the beft of care with intelligent medical attendance
II Improvement does not follow at once, and save
your animals.