The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-09-05
The Cattle Disease-Interesting Anee
with Prot. Stalker on the Cattle Disease
at Lie Mars.

w,a Cattle nisease-Intereating Interview
with prot. Stalker on the Cattle Disease
at LIE Mars.
Des Nome Special; Prof. NJ. Stalker, state
veterinarian. was found in tho city the other
aav and was Immediately coralled for an ex-
PLANTATION of the cattle disease outbreak AZ Lie
Mars:
81 found" he said, '"that q large number OF
cattle had died; that in almost every case inc
attack was fatal. In company with the resi-
dent phv sicians, I at once set about ascertain
INC the cause. We made thorough clinical eX1
animation. followed by post mortem. l 1ouhu
the disease was true Texas fever. Inc mex
step was to ascertain the source OF lnteGuon.
Inquiry disclosed the fact that nearly all Tue
asses were those of town COWS, when
we're driven every morning TO a GER
tain range to feed through the DAY,
and were returned at night Knowing that
the disease could only be communicated IL
one way, further inquiry showed that nearly
two months ago a herd OF cattle from ABROAD
was fed on the range several days. EA&Inha,
ton of the records at the Office Of the railroad
company showed that several cars OF cattle
shipped from the southern part OF MISSISSIPPI
were unloaded at lie Mars and fed several DAYS,
when thew were reloaded and sent to Dakota.
From the date of their feeding on this range 10
the time of the outbreak Of the disease among
the native cattle was ffty-two' days, which
have found is the incubation period of this dis
ease. How much further south those cattle
came from Icannot trace; but they were EVIL
IDENTITY Southwestern cattle"
"Were any of them sick; or did any of them
dieg"
'No: it is a singular fact that such cattle
in fact, all these Texas cattle-are apparently
in perfect health. This particular herd were
fat, sleek and in prime order for the butcher.
Their meat is, in fact, wholesome and health
full. They are never sick, and do not impart
the disease by contact. The disease is not In
~fections, but in a certain sense 1T is contagious.
They carry the disease in their body, IN their
spleen and kidneys. From the focal and uri-
nary discharges, on the ground where they feed,
is transmitted the disease to Northern or
native, or unacclimated cattle, to use that term
to express my idea. The virtue ends with q
single transmission. Northern or native cat
tie attacked with the disease will not transmit
it to the other cattle by contact Sick and well
cattle may be stabbed 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-
ID W ~ ~ ~ DubSAANAS 0AAhs ~
the presence or the local physicians
and health authorities, he was killed
and a post norton examination made. Before
commencing, / described infinitely what / 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. 1t rs
the effect of the climate in which they live and
the water and food they get"
SIS there no cure for it among native cat
tie?
81 have found medication oflittle or no avail
1t is uniformly fatal One or two frosts seems
to destroy the virus on ground where these
cattle have fed"
How about that herd sent out to Dakota;
win they not cause the same results they did
here?"
ct is not improbable; still going so far
north they may become changed in physical
condition, so that the virus they leave behind
may lose its destructive force. However, ]
would not be surprised to hear of trouble from
that section"
What have you determined as to the cause
of the recent mortality among horses in Pot
tawattamie county,"
Il have not yet arrived at q satisfactory con-
clusion After a very careful clinical examina-
ton / 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 the locality where lhey grazed
for some known poisonous weed, being salts
fed that the troubla came from something
eaten. / could find nothing to which to attri-
butte it but Z did find a weed growing quite
luxuriantly which belongs to the family of a
very poisonous weed and of which the
horses there eat quite freely and seem to
like it / gathered . quantity of ii. found
that the horses in other sections, or on the
college farm would not eat ii, or even
taste it. 80 I could not test its effects. ]
think, therefore, the taste and liking of il is
acquired, like that for tobacco or opiates by
man. 1t begins with frequent nibbling Of ii /
shall further test it, as have a 4 useless horse
at my infrmary to which | propose 10 give q
decoction of that weed. So soon as the nature
is correctly determined, a remedy can be sug-
gested- Prevention can be had by keeping
horses from grazing in that locality. Proven
ton is better than cure-in fast, the chances
of cure are very slight
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