The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-11-13
washington vvartpr..

WAsHINGToN, d. C., Nov. 12.-Dr.
e. Salmon, chief Of the bureau of ami.
NAL industry, has submitted to the com.
missioner Of agriculture, q yoIuminous
report upon contagious diseases of AMI.
mele, the report being the result Of ex-
pertments and investigations made by
the veterinary division. Considerable
space Is given 70 g detailed history of
the recent outbreak among the cattle in
kAnsas and descriptions Of its symptoms
Dr.. Salmon reaches the conclusion that
the disease was ergousm, due 70
eating 9 fungus, known a. ergot.
Upon the treatment and proven
ton OF this disease, he says: "When
the fEst sign of the disorder appears the
most important point to be attended to
Is to make complete change of food
and to see that this Is of good quality.
nutritious and tree from ergot. Il would
also Do proper 10 give dose of physic
OF from one 70 two pounds of Epson
Salts, In order 20 remove as much as pos
slble the poison still contained in the
digestive organs, and 70 follow this with
soft food, ss mashes and roots. In the
I most severe casee, those IN which q part
OF limb is already lIfeless, treatment
Will ava1l but little. The greater num-
Der OF cases, however, have not advanced
, 20 this stage when the laneness il first
noticed. and these will be greatly bene-
ntted by removing the cause and placing
the animal under conditions favorable
Tor resisting the poison. 4 very impor.
> tant condition is warmth, Even when
animals are fed large quantities of ergot
{ they seldom suffer except in cold weather
and consequently in attempting to checl
r the advance of the disease, advantage
should be taken of this fact by placing
the cattle in warm sheds. Another con
dition believed by some TO have much
influence in the development of ergot
ism is the water supply. With plenty
e OF water always at hand il is believed
/. larger quantities of erget may be takeI
for longer time than when the watel
> supply Is defective. In cold winter
which occur over so much of our cattle
raising country il IS difficult 10 Undue
animals to take sufficient amount o
a water. Holes cut through the Ice sOol
freeze over and the weather is frequenti,
= so severe that cattle will drink only
e few swallows of water before they viii
y leave TO seek shelter from the cuttinl
winds, and when later in the day the
try to Obta more water, the drlnkin
holes are frozen over. Wher
ergotism prevails watering shout
& receive close attention. Ergotisn
can probably be entirely prevented b
cutting hay before the seeds hay
'S formed. Both II Missouri aud IllInol
g. l saw the clearest examples of thi
9 Hay composed of the same kinds {
If grass cut upon the came land was FIRE
from eFgot or largely infected with
according as it bad been cut green {
ripe. This matter is worthy of serioU
consideration. hay cut green is mol
:, digestIbie and in every way more Yslul
BILE than that which is allowed to b
Ia come ripe and waddy, and th
latter is much more liable to produC
d severe diseases such as indigestion, in
FACTION and ergOtism. This fatal disc
at der may, therefore, be prevented In Il
future by proper and careful manag
ment.
The president accepted the resign
st ton of Judge Hezekiah G.. Wells,
at the court of commissioners of the AL
bams claims, and appointed Judge ia
,h Harlan of Iowa to succeed HIM as pr
siding Judge of the court