River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-09-04

The Cattle Disease Interesting Interview
with Prof. Stalker on the Cattle Disease
at LIE Mars.
Dies Moines Special: Prof. NJ Stalker, state
veterinarian, was found in the city the other
lay, and was immediately coralled for an ex-
PLANTATION of the cattle disease outbreak at lie
Mars:
II found, he said shat large number of
cattle had died; that in almost every case the
attack was fatal In company with the resi-
dent physicians, / at once set about ascertain
ing the cause. We made thorough clinical ex-
animation, followed by post mortem. found
the disease was true Texas fever. The next
step was to ascertain the source of infection.
Inquiry disclosed the fact that nearly all the
cases were those of iowa cows, which
were driven every morning to a GER
tain range to feed through the day,
aud were returned at night Knowing that
the disease could only be communicated in
one way, further inquiry showed that nearly
two months ago a herd of cattle from broad
was fed on the range several days. Examl ma
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 unloadel at lie Mars and fed several days,
when they were reloaded and sent to Dakota.
From the date of their feedingo this range to
the time OF the outbreak of the disease among
the native cattle was fifty two days, which
have found is the incubation period of this dis
ease How much further south those cattle
came from cannot trace; but they were EVIL
IDENTITY Southwestern cattle.
Were any of them sick; or did any of them
die"
''No; it is a singular fact that such cattle
in fact all these Texas cattle-are apparently
an e1rfyG 1iap WI
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 lmpart
the disease by contact. The disease is not in
fections but in a certain sense il 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 10 Northern or
native, or unacclimated cattle, to use that term
to express my idea The virtue ends with
tie attacked with the disease viii 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 anamoiOus condition and nature of the
disease. To satisfy them one of those Southern
cattle was found. He was in splendid con-
dltlon Arrangements were made for dispos-
ing of his carcass to butcher, and in
the presence or the local physicians
and health authorities, he was killed
and post mortem 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 is
the effect of the climate in which they live and
the water and food they get. y
is 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;
will they not cause the same results they did
here?"
sIt 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, l
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,"
II have not yet arrived at satisfactory con-
clusion. After very careful clinical examina-
ton decided the fatality was the result of some
toxicant; that the animals were all affected
alike, and that they all had been feeding i'll q
certain locality on bottom land | spent several
DAYS searching the locality where they grazed
for some known poisonous weed, being salts
fed that the trouble came from something
eaten. could find nothing to which to attri-
butte it, but did find weed growing quite
luxuriantly which belongs to the family of a
very poisonous weed and of which the
horses there cat quite freely and seem to
like it l gathered a quantity of it. found
that the horses in other sections, or on the
college farm would not eat it, or even
taste it, so | could not test its effects. l
think, therefore, the taste and liking of it is
liza a
man. 1t begins with frequent nibbling of it l
shall further test it, as have useless horse
at my infirmary TO which | propose to give
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 fact, the chances
of cure are very slight"