St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-21
PLEURO PNEUMONIA.
The Disease Found Among the
Illinois Herds of Cattle.


CHICAGO, Aug. 2O.-The Breeders Gazette
will publish the following tomorrow:
At last the unweicome truth is forced upon
Us that Contagious pleuro pneumonia has
found Judgment in the prairies of Illinois.
The evidence of its baneful presence in not
less than five Jersey herds in this state are
Overwhelming. and grave fears are ex-
pressed that the extent Of the infection has
only dawned upon us. Investigations
which were set on foot some two weeks ago
by the bureau of animal industry leave no
longer any room to doubt the unwelcome
fact. The nature Of the trouble was first sus-
pected by Dr. Truebower, of Sterling, who
was in the employ of the department of agri-
culture. A Jersey COW belonging
to Mr. Keefe, of Sterling, recently
purchased by him, sickened and died under
such circumstances as to lead to suspicion.
Her lungs were taken out and sent to Dr.
Salmon, chief of the bureau at Washington
An examination satisfied him thorough ex-
animation Of the case was warranted and he
instructed his subordinate to carefully in
quire into its history. 1t was soon learned
that the COW came from the herd of NJ. G.
Clarke, Geneva, Illinois, and that there had
been other and serious trouble there. He
had sold two cows that went into the herd of
John Boyd, of Elmhurst, and which soon had
siekened, and one of them had died Other
and more serious results followed, and DR..
Salmon came in person some ten days ago to
investigate the case. In company with Mr..
Sanders, of the Gazette he visited Mr.. Boyd's
herd, where the remaining living COW pur-
chased from Mr.. Clarke was found to be suf-
fering from what appeared to be
pleuro pneumonia in chronic
form, and another one of Mr.. Boyd's
own raising presented an acute case of the
disease of only about ten days duration. DR..
Salmon was slow to declare the nature of the
disease, but subsequent investigation and
further fact, two more animals in the same
herd being attacked with similar symptoms,
SO confirmed him in his diagnosis that he de-
termined to kill the two COWS which were first
attacked on Mr.. Boyd's place. The post
mortem examination which was made last
week fully confirmed his worst fears, and he
at once set to work to learn the source of the
infection. Mr.. Clarke admitted six deaths in
his small herd since last April, although he
( claimed two OF these died of old age These,
/ with the cows sold to Keefer and two taken to
Elmhurst, made nine fatal cases from this
/ herd alone. In the meantime word came of
/ trouble in two Jersey herds in another part
; of the state, and DIR. Salmon made a post
norton, revealing q perfectly typical case
! Of genuine lung plague. The disease ap-
4 pears to have run its course in the herd of
! Mr.. Clarke, but in the meantime sales have
/ been made TO various parties, one lot going
4 to Cynthiana, KY, from which nothing has
/ been heard. Article claims that the investi-
/ cation shows that the auction sale of Jerseys
/ at Virginia, Cass county. Illinois, in Febru-
| airy last, was the distributing point of the
| infection in this state. Animals from this
sale were taken to Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa
| and Kentucky. and to various other herds in
/ this state. Ali available resources of the
I department of agriculture is being energet-
! icSIiy employed to trace up, determine and
isolate the infected herds Mr.. BOYD and
Others have made no sales for months past,
and there is no danger of disease spreading
4 further from these herds. So far as known
/ infection is confined to Jersey herds. In
| view of these developments the following
order has been issued:
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. WASHING
EoS, Aug 2o.-To the cattle owners Of the
I United States: Owing TO the existence OF a
disease, supposed TO be contagious pleuro-
/ pneumonis, in several herds of Jersey cattle
7 in the state of Illinois, I hereby request the
owners Of all herds of Jersey cattle in the
United States into which new animals have
been introduced since January 1, to stop
shipments of cattle until after October l.
The disease seems To have been iufroffT1easi
by animals sold ST Virginia, Cass county.
Illinois, in February, 1884, and these ami
mails were widely distributed through the