Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-08-14
THE CATTLE PLAGUE.
A visit TO the Scene and Interview
With MIR. Smith.

Correspondence ofthe Register.
In recent visit to the east end OF the
county your correspondent visited the farm
Of J. L. emith, Esa., in Brooke county. and
interviewed him with regard to his expe-
rience with the so-called splenic fever, the
cattle disease that has caused much loss to
some of our farmers and which has engen-
dered, in some localities more hard feel.
ings than will pass away in decade OF
years Mr.. Smith is farmer OF more than the
average intelligence Of his class, and seems
to have given the subject considerable at
tention. Out of herd of twenty-five,
among which were five or six head Of Ala
bama cattle, he has had eleven cases of the
disease, six of which proved fatal, in from
three to six days. Two have entirely re-
covered; one is convalescing after eight days
and two recently attacked. He has fifty
other cattle that have not come in contact
with the Southern cattle. and there is no
sign of disease among them. | asked him
how the disease first manifested itself, and
he gave me an account OF the differen
symptoms, as they had appeared to him;
much more in length than your correspon-
dent could note. / will, however, try to
give you the substance of what he told me
in as nearly his language as possible: II
first noticed" said he, 1.-THE affected stock
walking slowly with head and ears dropped,
ropy saliva dripping fIom the mouth, aud
the bowels very loose. They isolate them
selves from the balance Of the herd, seek
ing watering places. As the dis.
ease progresses they lie in unnat-
ural positions, head thrown backward
and eyes open with jerkey motto This
peculiar movement OF the eyes is particu-
I.r II pnt;oaahla IN thu fatal tho
bowels which in the beginning were very
loose become constipated. In all stages Of
the disease, great quantity OF urine, high
ly colored, is secreted; the patient Is very
week and gets up and lies down with great
difficulty; sometimes will continue getting
up and down until within an hour or two
OF DEATH"
Iasked Mr.. Smith il he had examined
any after death. On receiving an answer
in the affirmative. requested him to give
me the result of his examination. He
beef ever saw. The blatter is distended
and contains from one to three gallons Of
urine, colored urine; the gall bladder Is
twice its usual size; the spleen mutt two to
five times its natural size, one measur.
ing five inches thick and
twenty inches long; the spleen
in all cases appears broken up; could
thrust my finger through it, and it was like
clottey blood; kidneys enlarged, very dark
and outside Shiny; liver OF a lighter color
than ordinary; lungs in all cases examined
in normal condition"
Such, in brief is the history he gave me
OF this terrible plague. / saw several OF
the Southern steers, and they are fine
ealthy-looking fellows, and OF about the
size of natives. They are infested with q
parasite somewhat resembling the sheep
TIC" only much larger. procured several
of them OF different sizes and have submit
ted them TO an eminent scientific gentle
man for examination. As there is 'tic
theory" with regard TO the origin Of splenic
fever, no doubt the result Of his examina-
tons With conclez5ons arrived at, would be
Of much interesttA -the public.
GEO. /. GARRISON.
H1Bskrg Wa, August IA, 1892