The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-05-14
TIE CATTLE -eenRLAlar.
reeaIisFiles OF the New Disease which
IL 80 QafekIy Fatal,

making its appearance In this vicinity,
and which was referred to in yester-
days Republican, is exciting some con-
siderable alarm. Omer Whitney. living
near Elkhorn City, has lost 21 head,
nearly all of them in a single night,
while a neighbor of his lost % head.
Mr.. Whitney has submitted to Prof.
Pontez, the Union Pacific chemist in
this city, the stomach and liver of his
dead cows, for chemical analysis. He
has not yet furnished his analysis, but
his tests no far show no evidences of
chemical poison, and he has no reason
to believe that he will find a vegetable
poison which can be discovered by
analysis.
The cattle which Mr.. Whitney hap
pened to see die, feebly staggered about,
or stood still, quiyering with tremors,
succeeded by jerking of the limbs, rigid
spasms and death.
The stomach and portions of the liver
presented but little Inflammation or
abnormal symptoms, except that the
mucous lining was of a very dark color.
1t appears as if the animals died of
blood poisoning. 1t has been surmised
that eating decayed corn, which has
laid on the land, might account for the
symptoms. Another fact appears to
have weight. Only the young animals
died; the older. apparently more wary,
did not eat of the material.
No cattle have, so far as we have
been able to learn, yet died in Omaha
of this strange disease.
At Council Bluffs, however, which
was recently so. extensively flooded by
the Missouri river, there have over a
dozen cows died in the district that was
inundated. DIR. II. T. Foote, the vet
Urinary surgeon stationed at Omaha by
the Wyoming st~ockgrowers' association
to inspect west bound cattle to detect
pleuro-pneumonia, was called over to
the Bluffs on Monday to investigate the
causes of the disease, and after a thor
ough examination he reported as fol
lows:
COUNCIL BLUFFS, May 10, 1881.
To Hon. W. r. Vaughn, Mayor:
The disease in cattle nov existing in
your city is that known as ANTHRAX.
This is a miasmatic contagion arising
spontaneously in herbiverous animals,
and is contagious to all the warm
blooded species, human beings included.
The disease arises in low marshy coun-
tries as a rule, and in this case it is due
to the present damp condition of the
bottom lands, the result of the recent
floods. The malady consists in a septic
blood poisoning. and decomposition of
the blood and all the tissues has made
progress by the time death occurs.
Everything connected with the a
cass is contagious, and great caution
should be used in handling the same.
The secretions and excretions are con
taminated with the poisonous germs,
The milk and meat under no circum.
stances should be used for human con
sumption. The hide should be slashed
and the carcass buried as soon as death
occurs, and at a point away from
dwellings, and where other stock is not
liable to Craze. AS o as the animal
becomes afflicted, it should be isolated
from all other animals as far distant as
possible.
By observing the foregoing precau'
tion the disease may readily be stamped
out in the course of a week or ten days,
or soon as the bottom lands become
dry. Much stock may thereby be saved
which would otherwise be sacrificed.
Respectfully yours,
H. T. FooTE, NJ. d. v. s.,
Veterinary inspector to the Wyoming
stockgrowers' association.
Mayor Vaughan at ono requested
the people to stop the use of milk, and
milkmen to stop the sale of the same fol
a week or more. He also ordered Q
special policeman to see that the hides
of dead cattle are slashed and that they
are buried, and forbid the use of car
cases for soap or grease purposes. OIL
the handling Of hides in any manner
The leading doctors endorsed this &C.
ton.
The Nonpareil of "Wednesday con
tains the following in regard TO the
situation:
The theory advanced by several who
claim to have experienced just such
trouble with stock in the past, is that
the cattle. unable to get healthful vege-
tation and grass, are compelled to eat
poisonous weeds, such as wild parsniI
leaves, "toad STOOL" s.jimpson weed
and other poisonous herbs. These are
found growing generally in swamps
and low lands, and are naturally more
thrifty and more dangerous in wet sea.
sons than dry. The symptoms are said
to be the same as those now witnessed
in the sickness and death Of numerous
cattle in this vicinity. A remedy fol
this disease is said to be a profuse
bleeding of the sick animal if in the
first stages, or when very bad, doses oil
new milk aad lard, forced down the
animals throat, is given as azure fol-
the disorder. In the bleeding operation
the tails are split from end to end.
A theory advanced by dairymen is
that the cows that were deprived of hay
all last winter, and fed on dry feed, are
the only mes suffering, and because
the change from bran and corr to pas.