Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-07-20

roundup parties, they have since died. In
anthony the losses have been heard OF, for
Tue Anthony R.pGblicsln, of last Saturday,
contained the following:
"Cattle are dying from fever in the vicin-
Ity of Harper, and west ia Ruelld town.
snip. About twenty have tlied in and near
Harper. and Capt Pratt, In Ruella, has lost
several head and We are told that the Bot
kins have lost about forty head of the cat
Tie they are holding for ether parties. The
people are becoming alarmed about the mat
Ter, and do not like the idea OF having
strange cattle driven through that section
immediate steps should taken to prevent
the spread of this terrible cattle disease"
While our people are interested in this
matter we may as we'll quote from good
authority Oh this subject. DIR. ID. f. Sal
mon in his report on the Investigation of
Southern Cattle Fever" tells among many
other valuable things, how the disease is
communicated and the appearance of the
ANNA. affected. He says:
1.-The fever seems TO be only contracted
by native cattle grazing on lands which
have been previously grazed or Travelled by
southern cattle. IL has been claimed that
simply driving across a road over which
iexans have passed was sufficient for ma
yves 10 contract the disease but. in view
Oi the facts cited, II may be doubted if the
IeVerlwould attack animals unless they had
eaten grass which had been soiled by the
eXeretlons OF the Southern animals, or, ut
lestst. which had been SO near these eXcre-
tons as to be contaminated by them. In
tile vast majority of instances "a good fence
Is sufficient protection ; indeed, there is but
one case on record, to nv knowledge.
where cattle in a well-fenced inclosure, that
southern cattle had not been allowed to EN-
Ter, contracted the fever"
The first symptom is an unmistakable
appearance OF languor and fatigue the ami
mai may remain at distance from its fell
lows, with dropping head, Topped ears, and
arched back. The eyes are staring, the
coat rough, frequent efforts are made 10
dung which are often Intellectual. Tbs
horns are hot and the nose dry. As the
disease advances the dropping of the head
Is carried to snch an extent that the nose
nearly, or quite, touches the ground; the
hlnd legs are advanced under the body and
placrd IN bracing attitude; the fetlocks
are bent; the gait is sluggish, and there is
Imposition TO lie down, pdrtic .lIrly in wa
Ter. Though covered with flies, the ami
NAL seems unconscious of their bltes.'
lie further states that the urine is gener
ally colored with blood: the cxcrrtions are
dry, scanty and stained with blood. There
is often tremOr of the flank muscles the gait
IS unsteady and staggering with swaying
OF the hind quarters. Very often the animals
becomes delirious and stand pressing their
heads against each other or some unyield-
ing object. The animals do not lose their
appetite at once, but III spite of their being
retained they rapidly waste and become
lean, the TANKS are drawn in, the abdomen
raised, and the animals acquire in few
days that appearance which is seen in other
wasting diseases after weeks illness.
There appears to be no doubt that the
disease which has killed so many cattle i'm
tire eastern part of the county is what is
commonly called Texas fever, described
above. There is no telling how many
more animals may die yet from the disease
spread by the Boyd herd. There is no way
now Of preventing these losses; bat there
Is way to prevent similar occurrence
another year. Allow 10 Southern cattle
10 be driven in this county where there ap
pears the least possibility of them spreading
disease. No matter who attempts to yio-
late the law, stop him before there is dan
ger, even.
Our people can't afford to remain negli-
gent IN this matter. Every stock man i'm
the county is directly interested, for there
i'lno telling when an animal may cross the
poisonous trail.