The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-03-27
DIR. HoLCOMBE.s ADDRESS.
A Synopsis of the Report Made by Him
to the Legislature at Topeka


A Synopsis of the Report Made by Him
to the Legislature at Topeka
Yesterday
From the Commonwealth We copy
the following abstract OF the address
made by DIR. A. A. Holcombe to the
legislature yesterday:
Gentlemen of the Legislature OF Kansas:
About the 1st OF February 1 noticed
that q disease had broken out among
the cattle ID Wo,,dson county but gave
very little attention to il until March
5th. At that time | was sent there by
General Augur, of Illinois. He first
had his attention called to the fact
that this disease was foot and mouth
disease, but this he could not believe
for the reason that 1t would seem I'M
possible Tor said disc as to get into tue
interior of the continent without be-
ing noticed in tue east | Went
therefore, with Governor Click
to Ncosno F4,l-, fully impressed that
there Was no fvoL and mouth
disease in the county, but upon examin-
alton OF the diseased stock changed my
mind.
Then the doctor followed with
| description oi what he discovered in the
cattle IL question. His diagnosis of
these cases, naming several animals at
| fIcted and their condition when exam
med, has already been published 10
these columns and need not be repeated
here, further than his statemt mt thai the
evidences of suppuratiJn found are gen.
orally characteristic of fot.t and mouth
disease, though not always. The aai
mails examined by HIM were In as
good condition as any other stock cattle
| are usually kept-good feed, good shell
| nd lNiEnfu Of UnfsH A fssuy
days after visiting the herds at Neosho
| Falls it was reported that the disease
| had made Its appearance twelve miles
| south OF theIe. and eight cases were no.
| ticed. He went 10 this herd and found
1 that their condition, 50 far as care was
concerned, was all that could be desired.
| The next day ne visited this herd again,
| and found more new cases.
| The Doctor gave as his evidence to
/ prove the foot and mouth disease theory,
the cases at Mr.. Keith's herd, where the
disease had sprt ad in his herd very rap
| idly, and the animals that died showed
every symptom Of having died with the
foot and mouth dlse tse. It appears that
the disease had its origin in Mr.. Keith's
herd and spread from there to the other
cattle in that section of the stale. But
how II got into Mr. Keith's herd, the
Doctor could not tell.
The Doctors recommendation as to
what should be done, is simply to dis
troy all the three herds OF cattle most
seriously infected with the disease. He
Gidn'I b lieye, however, that it ~as neces-
sary to destroy all the cattle that have
been exposed to the disease. The time
of guaranteeing should be regulated &C
cording TO the character and condition
of the soll that has been traveEsed by the
afflicted stock. Only six or seven cases
have proved fatal, but large number OF
animals are Tendt red useless by the loss
of limbs He believes that the mortality
of cattle affected will average 10 pei
cent of the number afflicted. II the dis.
ease, however, gets a foothuld on the
ranges of kansas, Indian Territory,
Texas, Colorado and Wyoming 1t WILL
be much greater.
) The doctor had seen very large mum
Der of horses and mules afflicted by frost
bites, but they did not lose their hoofs a
the cattle down at Neosho Falls do. The
skin simply drops off and leaves 9
sloughing sore. He had seen cattle il
!, Wyoming subjected TO cold IS degrees
/: below zero, but be never saw more thar
one that was frost bitten. These cettls
| in Kansas had not suffered over 20 de
> grees below zero, and that temper1turt
] viii not freeze cattle. Il has also bseE
. stated that alkali water might be thu
cause of the disease, bat he had beer
assured by the owners of the cattle tina
: that they had sill been watered from
good wells, the NeOsho river, ana
; creeks of running water. In answe
TO Senator Bnchan's question, tn
: speaker thought that by 3 yer!
: strict and perfect quarantine the diseasl
] might be controlled. The disease is no
J confined to any age, though young ami
mails are more susceptible to the dlseas
than older ANIMALS. The disease vii
!. extend more rapidly in warm weethel
4 An animal may have the disease ion
5 times in twelve Months