Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-08-30
Some Causes Of Animal Diseases.


This is strange world in the sense
that though we are living in it, yet we
know very little about it. Causes of
disease, for instance, are often so differ
ent from what we guess, that we are
wholly at sea in preparing and applying
remedies. Here are some pertinent
thoughts from the Germantown iete-
graph:
1t was formerly general belief, es.
pecially among farmers, that many
diseases, such as soldering of the horse
staggers in sheep, and many diseases in
cattle, were produced by certain weeds
or heritage in the food, especially the
pastures they consumed. 1t may be that
in some cases it is so, and in fact we are
quite confident that ,slobbers are caused
by certain weeds in August pastures, if
not by some of the early Autumn grasses.
Still, with the progress of discovery it
has been found that plants are not near
lyso much to blame as we at one time
supposed. 1t was for instance once
an almost universal belief that the
Texan cattle fever was brought about
by some small fungoid vegetation which
existed in the prairies; but commission
appointed by the Department of Agri-
culture, went to Texas and reported
that there was nothing whatever to war
rant the popular belief. So with the
staggers in sheep, which so often proves
a fatal disease, and subjects sheep
raisers to great loss. 1t was common to
attribute it to plants, and which was
called by the sheep breeders stagger
bush on this account. Besides this,
various other plants in other sections
have been supposed to produce the same
disease. But now it is known very
clearly that no plant has anything to do
with it, but that it results from small
wormy parasite, which after developing
in its early stages in the stomach of the
animal, works its way to the head and
feeds on the sleeps brains. All
this is well known now, but
it is not so well known
how these parasites are produced, and
are scattered about SO as to be intro
duced into places which were once free
from it. The clue was furnished some
few years ago in the case of trichina in
pork. 1t was found that a parasite
often found home in the flesh of the
hog, and fearful results followed on the
human frame in many cases. There
was no doubt but the same insect could
eaten to the human system. But sub
sequent experiments proved without
the slightest doubt that high heat total
ly DESTROYED the enemy, and that there
fore meat that was thoroughly cooked
was innocuous. Since then it has been
placed beyond question that some other
fearful parasites that once in while in
fest the human system, come from i'm
perfectly cooked beef. Raw beef cures
have been popular with some empirical
mendicants, and the parasites which
followed have been a matter of calcula-
ton with no doubt as to the origin.
The great question has been how
these troublesome things first get into
these animals, Some time ago, in some
anatomical lecture in this city, DR..
Joseph Leidy, who probably stands at
the head of this branch of science in
this country, gave it as result of his
own personal researches, that the ami
mails which eat raw meat-cats, dogs,
etc.-take in the eggs with the raw meat
they eat, which pass through their sys-
tenn unchanged, and that then the eggs
become scattered eventually among the
heritage, and again are taken into the
system of herbivOrous animals; and in
this way plants are often blamed for re-
suits which really are in no way con-
nected with them. DR.. L. is strongly of
opinion that where focks and herds are
followed as business, no herbivorous
animal that may be connected with the
% establishment should be fed on raw
food, but that the meat they eat should
be as well cooked for them as for human
beings.
How far these views may be true or
not, we are unable to say; but as the
results of the studies of one of the best
scientists and most thoughtful men of
the day, they are worthy of respect.
These diseases are very troublesome
when they once get into lot, of cattle,
and any simple thing which does not
take much time or money to attend to,
is usually well worth observing. Kan
.SGs Farmer.