The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1885-08-08
The Charlton.
Editor Lake Charles Echo:

Editor Lake Charles Echo:
Having noticed several articles in your pa
per and Others published in our district, of
the prevalence OF Charlton and its fatality in
some of our adjoining parishes, have con-
cluded TO give to your many readers what
little information ! have gathered from close
observation, in regard to the character,
causes and treatment of this fatal disease.
And in order to do so intelligently, / will
have to divide or speak Of three different
conditions, although originating from the
same causes, which are as follows:
Extreme heat, feeding on low, marshy
lands, recently covered with water, and
drinking hot stagnalt water out of muddy,
shallow ponds, or in other words, the same
causes which produce malignant and perni-
ciOus fevers in the human subject. The first
condition arising from these causes are
meningitis, or commonly called among stock
men blind staggers, which is an Inflammation
of the meninges or membranes of the brain.
The second condition which l find, is a com
plete congestion or stagnatiOn of blood
in the capillary system, for in skinniDg
an animal that has died In this condition,
you will find the blood to flow freely at every
stroke of the knife, and death occurs sud
denly in this case from collapse, as the sup
ply of yeniOus blood is suddenly cut off from
the ventricles, for often You will pen your
best and latest animals at night, apparently
in perfect health, and in the morning you
will find them stretched out dead.
Il have now given you the two conditions
that go together which, form the primary
causes of the third stage which is Charlton,
or in medical terms, anthrax. Anthrax is an
inflammation essentially gangrenous OF the
cellnlar membrane and skin, which may arise
from an internal or external cause. In the
latter case it is called aSitgra cio5a, and is
characterized on the human being at the out
set by a yesicstion or bleb filed with sero
sangninolent fluid, under which o small in
duration is formed, surrounded by an areOlar
Inflammation which becomes gangrenOus.
It has been thought BIZ some to be induced
altogether by contact with the matter of the
carbnnele Of animals or of heaexnvia OF the
bodies of sueh as had died of the disease.
But 1t is now known to arise primarily In the
human subject This form Of carbHncle has
received different names, many Of themfron
the different places where 1t has prevailed
with us It derives its name from Its black APP
pearance. resembling charcoal A1ifhran Is a
malignant boil, and its treatment Is similar
to that which isTequired In gangrene, attack
ing part, as ] said before, the first c0ndi-
tons mentioned are the primary CAUSES of
the carbnnele or Charlton, and occurs In this
way. The first disturbance arising from the
poison IN the blood may not have been suiii-
Client to produce complete congestion and
only patches of the capillary system become
congested, or on the other hand, If complete
In the outset partial reaction having taken
place, would leave the same condition which
| wonld drst produce irritation, inducing more
/ blood 10 accumulate until lnally large tii-
NOR forms and Inflammation, and snpuration
sets IN. II the blood was not aI1eafsy pot
s0ned Il wenld pass of IN the usual Ray,
healthy pus wotild form, supnration take
place, and leave nothing behind except a
healthy abcess 70 al up by FORMULATION But
IN the case Of chArbon 4 Is not 50, the blood
already being poisoned, no healthy action
can set up, the carbnnele becomes d mass Of
dead pltfid matter, from which the system
| absorbs o sufficient quantity OF poison IN a
short time to destroy life, and IL Is from this
source that the fly gets bis supply Of vaccine
70 innocalate the human as vel as other
animals, j say, from this source Though
Il nlay. be that animals dying without show
ing any signs Of earbuncle IN their pntrid
state might furnish the same poison But rs
III have never eNperlmented in that way, j
cannot say post but ] do know Il used
TO pc a system aIl0pi the old settlers OF Cal
ea4ien 70 burn the bodies OF the animals
dying Of Charlton.
NOW As To the treatInenipf blind staggers
4 would treat i The same as meningitis Ii