McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-12-11
SINGULAR CATTLE DISEASE.
Causes Of Disease that Has Prevailed Among
Farm Animals I'm Portions Of
Minncsota


Prof. Stalker, of the Iowa Agricult-
ural college, has made critical ex-
animation of the cause of remarkable
disease that has prevailed among farm
animals in Minnesota, and writes as
follows TO the president of the Mime
sofa Agricultural college:
have the honor to make the follow
ing report on the cattle disease that
has prevailed along the borders of
Lakes Sakatah and Tetonka, in lie
Sueur county, Minnesota, for the past
three years. The latter part of June,
1884, was asked to come to Water-
vile to assist in making some expert
ments which might lead to the dis
covery of the cause and prevention of
the disease. | arrived at Waterville
on July 1, and proceeded to the work
of investigation. The history of this
enzootic is as follows: The past three
years highly-fatal form of disease
has made its appearance among the
domestic animals along the shores of
these lakes. The greatest loss has
been in cattle, but swine and horses
are not exempt. The greater loss
among cattle is probably due to the
fact that they are kept under circum-
stances that expose them more to the
poisonous agent, whatever this may be.
The disease first made It's appearance
in June, 1882, and has reappeared
about this time or a little later
in the season of each year
since. Coincident with the loss of live
stock, a peculiar vegetable growth
makes its appearance in the waters
of these lakes, and the testimony
goes to show that only those animals
which obtain water from the lake at
this season are infected with the
disease. This plant is the limnactis
minutula, of which mention has fire.
quently been made under the head of
notoc. Prof. Arthur, of Geneva, N.
Y, has been employed on the investi-
cation of this plant for the past two
years. The plant is the one to which
you drew public attention a year or
two since. The professor is still en-
gagged in his investigation, and it is
hoped that he will in time be able to
throw some important light on this as
yet obscure question. L leave the
scientific discussion of the vegetable
growth to the professor, and will only
give such description of it as will
render the illusions to it Ineligible.
This plant is low form of alg3 or
sea-weed. 1t is spherical in form, of
green color, and about the size of
pinhead. 1t is first seen in the early
part of June rising from the shallow
portion of the lake, where there is
much vegetation, and is freely sus-
pended in the water in sufficient guam
titles to make it turbid. Later in the
season these little green masses pass
through various changes of color, be-
gin to undergo decomposition, and
float on the surface in a thick scum.
In this condition they will drift to the
snore against which the wind is blow
ing, and sometimes accumulate to the
depth of an inch near the shore or in
the protected portions of the lakes. |
The decomposition of the plant is al
ways attended with the most sickening
odor, which pervades the atmosphere
about the lakes. The date of the ap-
pearance of the plant in the water,
and the subsequent decomposition, are |
subject to variations in different years. |
The lake usually begins to emit the
odor in the early part of July. The
loss of stock ordinarily occurs some
days earlier. The testimony of all
farmers who have lost stock is to the
effect that:
1. There have been no losses except |
among animals obtaining water from
the lakes.
2. In every instance where deaths
have occurred wind had for some days
previous blown shoreward where the
animals drank, and carried the plants
to the margin of the lakes in large
quantities.
8. No losses having occurred after
the odor of the lakes became offens-
i've. These statements seem to be
concurred in by all who have made OBJ
servations on the subject. The course
of the disease is rapidly, as may be il
Illustrated from the history of Mr.. Bull
lis cattle. Mr.. Bulls is farmer liv-
ing on the north shore of Lake Teton
ka, about mile and half from the |
town of Waterville. On the 25th of |
June, 1882, Mr.. Bulls found four of |
his calves and one of his cows dead. |
This was at o'clock in the afternoon.
The cattle were seen at noon and |
known to be all right. At some time |
between those two hours they had |
been to the lake side and taken water. |
They were all found within few rods |
of the shore. There was at this time |
large quantities of limnactis on the
lakes. On the 9Th of July of the same
year seven more cattle and two hogs |
died at the Bulls farm. The cattle
had not been getting water at the lake
for some time, but this morning they
had got access to it about o'clock.
By $3.50 the cattle were dead. In ad-
dition to these twenty hogs, number
of cattle were affected, but finally re-
covered. MIR. Bulls family physician
made a post-mo1tem examination of
some of these cattle. There was no
peculiar pathological changes notice
able except in the first stomach, or ru-
men. In this organ the line reached