Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-08-07
THE sPANIsH FEVER.

DR.. A. A. Holcomb, the State Veteri-
marian, who had been up to Manhattan
investigating the Spanish fever in Mai.
Adams cattle, returned to the city yes
terday and wrote out his official report
to Gov. Click, which is as follows:
To His ErcslIeney, the GoUernor Of Kan
SGs.-SIR: l have the honor to report
! that IN response to your telegram of the
10th inst, which reached me at Ottawa,
/ Franklin County, proceeded at once to
Manhattan, Riley County, where I ar
rived on the morning OF the 3Oth inst
An investigation revealed the following
facts: Major n. A. Adams purchased in
the Kansas City Stock Yards on the 10th
/ inst 220 grade steers, which had arrived
| that morning nom Caldwell, Kansas.
/ On the evening of the same day they
were loaded and started for Manhattan
over the Union Pacific road. Just after
/ they were weighed in the yards the pur-
| chaser noticed that one of the best steers
| seemed distressed and unsteady in his
gait. Calling attention to the fact the
| condition of the animal was explained
on the ground that he had drank to ex-
cess Of water; but when the bunch was
| shipped west this one was left behind,
and, as was afterWard learned, he was
| the first to die. When the train reached
! Topeka it was found that a large num-
/ Der of the cattle in one car were
piled on top of each other, and that some
/ of them were badly injured
and in danger of being killed. Accord
ingly this car was cut out and left at the
stock yards in North Topeka, where all
/ but three of the most seriously injured
were unloaded. The remaining car
loads were taken on to Manhattan, where
| they arrived on Sunday. On Monday all
/ but six of those which had been left in
| Topeka were forwarded to their destina-
! ton; the remaining six died. During a
portion of Sunday, Monday and Tuesday
deaths were quite frequent and the ma
| ture of the disease was soon suspected.
/ On Wednesday morning l found the en-
/ tire herd which reached Manhattan held
/ in quarantine by the Sheriff in the stock
yards, adjoining commons, and in a field
of full grown corn, all situated west of
and adjoining the town. In the yards
were seven which had died during the
and two others which we're rapidly grow
ing weak. The dead were being dragged
away to the river bank, where they were
buried in holes dug eight feet deep in
! the sand and covered with quick lime
and soil. Between thirty and forty were
crumbling to ashes in a pit where they
had been burning for many hours. In
!
steer and the carcass OF one which had died
during the night. In the cornfeld " ere
the remainder of the lot purchased. Of
these, one was dead; one was quite i'll
and the rest were in different parts of the
enclosure feeding An examination of
the yard showed that the fecPS passed
by the animals which were first taken
sick were somewhat hard, dry and Gov
cred more or less with mucus streaked
h 81 81 aLY of
this time were, as a rule, having loose,
thinnish passages from the bowels, a con-
ditiOn no doubt to be attributed to the
green corn they had fed upon and the
medicine with which they had been
drenched, The temperature of the two
most i'll, which were confined in the
yards, were respectively 1929 F., and
102 1-50 F.; while the temperature of the
one which had been sick for but short
time stood at 105 2-5o F. The two which
were lying down were upon the broad
side, with the head extended, the eyes
staring and CLASSY, and unconscious to
the irritation of the flies which sWarmed
around. Occasionally the muscles of the
extremities would tWich, the chin be
drawn down toward the chest, the legs
! doubled up beneath the body and the
patient would moan as though in great
pain. Frequent strainings. as if to void
some feces, were, as a rule, productive
only of a protrusiOn of the rectum,
accompanied sometimes by the passage
of a little blood-stained mucus. Sensa-
ton of the surface was lost, for the ami
NAL would not respond to the prick of a
sharp knife blade. When the disease is
first seen to attack the animal he appears
tired and walks with an unsteady gait.
The head drOOps, the ears lop down, the
hind legs are scarcely lifted from the
ground, the patient cares not to move
} but is left behind in the herd and soon
seeks place to lie down If he is stand
ing the back is arched, the hind legs
straddled apart and carried forward be-
meath the body, the fetlocks are partly
= fiexed, the muscles of the flank trembIe
the belly becomes tucked up and the
head hangs very low. In the earlier
, stages of the disease, when excited they
, may chase the attendants for a distance
> but as rule they prefer to remain quiet
: and often stand with their head pressed
: hard against fence or other immovablC
object, while the body is swayed bach
g and forth. The pulse increases in thu
) rapidity of its beats, while the breath
: ing is fast, irregular and oftimes labored
: The urine in every instance was neaTls
: black and passed in small quantities
The opportunity did not offer Il
r take the temperature of the healthy
animals and those first showing
! signs of the disease; but, as has beer
= seen above, the temperature of thOs
about to die was nearly normal-I02o
One steer, which was first seen to b.
: sick on the morning Of the 3Oth at
|, o'clock p m, showed a temperature 0
: 104o F. He was unconscious to all sur
: roundiDgs, breathing with rapid, ierkin
respiratiOns, the pulse scarcely pPrcepti
: BILE and death evidently rapidly an
preaching With the consent of tn
: owner he was knocked on the head an,
: a post morton examination made at once
Z The left carotid artery was laid bare an