Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1884-09-04

xhs cssxls DissasA --1ntsrswting Interview
win prot. Esassss on the Cattle disease
~ - Mars.
Dss MONIES special: Prof NJ Stalker, stats
,~eierinarisn, was found in tho city the other
day, and was immediately coralled for an ex-
PLANTATION Of tho cattle disease outbreak Of 10
Mars.
sr found,. he said, shat a large number Of
cattle had died; that in almost sysry casc the
attack was fatal 10 company with the resi-
dent physicians, / II once sol; about ascertain
ing the GAUGE. wsmade thorough clinical ex-
animation, followed by pos. mcrtem. found
the diseass was true Texas fever. The next
step was 20 ascertain the source OF infection
Inquiry disclosed the fact that nearly all the
cases were those OF town cowo, which
were driven every morning TO Q Ger
tain range 10 feed through the DAY,
and were returned at night Knowing that
the disease could only be communicated in
one way, further inquiry showed that nearly
two months ago q herd OF cattle from abroad
was fed ON the range several days Examina
ton OF the records at the office OF she railroad
company showed that several cars OF cattle
shipped from the southern part OF Mississsippi
were unloadcd 81 LIE Mars and fed several days,
when they were reloaded and sen. 70 Dakota
From the date Of their feeding on this range TO
the time of the outbreaks Of the disease among
the native cattle was fifty-two days, which ]
have found Is the incubation period OF this dis
case. How much further south those cattle
came from Icannot trace; but they were evil
IDENTIFY Southwestern cattle"
Were any OF them sick; or did any Of them
die?"
''No; II is q singular fact that such cattle
In fact, all these Texas cattle--are apparently
in perfect health. This particular herd were
tat, sleek and in primo order for tho butcher.
Their meat is, in fact, wholesome and health
full. Thsy are never SICK, and do not impart
the disease by contact The disease is not In
~fections, but In o certain sense it 10 contagious.
They carry the disease In their body, in their
spleen and kidneys From the focal and url-
nary discharges, on the ground where they feed,
Is transmitted the disease TO Northern or
native, or unacclimated cattle, 10 use that term
te express my idea The virtue ends with q
single transmission. Northern or native cat
tie attacked with the disease will no. transmit
1t to the other cattle by contact Sick and well
cattle may be stablei together with no danger.
A herd OF other Southern cattle might have
been driven on that same range and they would
not have been affected at all The people there
were disposed TO discredit my statement of
this anamolous condition and nature OF the
disease To satisfy them one OF those Southern
cattle was found. He was in splendid con-
dition Arrangements were made for dispos-
ing OF his carcass 10 q butcher, and, in
the presence or the local physicians
and health authorities, he was killed
and q post norton examination made. Before
commencing, l described infinitely what l ex-
pected to find The examination verified my
diagnose precisely. The spleen was quadruple
the usual size, and other organs were in the
condition found in all these Texas cattle. II is
the effect OF the climate in which they live and
The water and food they getn
SIS there no cure for IL among native cat
tleg
II have found medication OF little or no avail
II Is uniformly fatal One or two frosts seems
to destroy the virus on ground where these
cattle have
How about that herd sent out 10 Dakota;
will they not cause the same results they did
here?"
ct is not improbable; stIl going so far
north they may become changed in physical
condition, so that the virus they leave behind
may lose its destructive force. However, i
would not be surprised to hear oftrouble from
that section
'.vwhat have you determined rs TO the cause
Of the recent mortality among horses in Pot
tawattamie county,"
II have not yet arrived at . satisfactory con-
clusion. After a ye-y careful clinical examina-
ton I decided the fatality was the result of some
t~oxicant; that the animals were all affected
alike, and that they all had been feeding IN Q
certain locality ON bottom land ! spent several
days searching tho locality where they grazed
for some known poisonous weed, being salts
fed that the trouble came from something
eaten / could find nothing 70 which TO attri-
butte IL, but l did find . weed growing quite
lnxuriantly which belongs 10 the family OF 8
very poisonous weed and OF which the
horses there cat quite freely Gnd seen TO
like IL ] gathered q quantity Of II, found
that the horses In other sections. or on the
college farm would not eat IL, or even
taste IT, so | could not test is effects. /
think, therefore, tho taste and liking OF ii is
acquired, like that for tobacco or opiates by
man. II begins with frequent nibbling Of it I
shall further test il, as have q useless horse
at my infirmary to which / propose togiyea
decoction OF that weed So soon as the nature
Is correctly determined, 9 remedy can DO sug-
gested Prevention can be had by keeping
horses from grazing in that locality. Proven
ton is better than cure-in fact, the chances
OF cure are very slight"