Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-04-24

LONGING
herd was isolated, and the infected kept
away from others. The disease was, con
trolled in that place, only to break out
with great violence in Allegheny county,
New York, in 1870. The cases were exam
ned by Thomas H. Harrison. secretary of
the State Agricultural society, and an IN
teresting account of them was published
in the journal of that society in ISL.
In the same year there was another out
break of this parasitic disease III Seneca
county. Several cases were fatal, but as
the authorities had full control and oil
cattle belonging to infected herds were
isolated, it did not spread to any extent
1t was, however, noticed that all the poul-
try upon the farm died from "gapes,"
showing that this species of worm, If not
identical with the species causing 'gapes
in chickens Is at least capable OF DONG
the mischief
But without referring further to special
cases, would say that it is the great
plague of Holland and Germany, as well
as England and France, and some author
tiles say that in the low meadows Of Ham
mersmith, England, where cattle do not
thrive even donkeys which feed there
have numerous specimens i'll their lungs
when killed, and the pheasants in that
vicinity nearly all die with the "gapes.
1t would be supposed that so fearful and
often incurable a disease would have
history of its rise and progress but such
its habits are not well understood. In
England it is said to have originated in
Cuba, while here it is spoken of as IL dis
ease of European origin. Some say one
thing of the parasite, and others talk or
write exactly opposite Some say it is
more likely to be epidemic in Il wet season.
others IN dry one, and while show full
Difference to authority, | shall ascribe the
strongylus micrurus as it appears evident
to me to exist in this section. | first be-
came acquainted with them by finding
them about sedge roots on wet ground AS
microscopic worms. | am not sure upon
what they feed, but have noticed a fine
brown sediment in their inteStineS which
| believe to be vegetable matter, though
they thrive best producing most and
growing the largest, when in the bron-
chial tubes of the calf. | have no doubt
but that they attack the OK, horse mules
and poultry, as well AS most wild ami
mails but the great fatality is among cat
tie. The numerous cases of 'heaVes" in
horses, unaccounted for by. over-draft or
other disease, may largely owe to this
worm their commencement When full
grown they are a threadlike worm. with
the female two inches or Il little more in
length, and the male about half the size.
The head is slightly rounded, with no
neck. The mouth is furnished with three
hooks, or, as called by some papllp
They are called viviparous, yet do not
half the time produce their young alive
us i'll the specimen presented to me. Some
of the lung cavities were full of eggs, in
which the outline of the worm could be
traced under high magnifying power. and
though put in glycerine were alive and
in healthy condition when put in water
several days after their immersion in ely
cerne. After two hours immersion III
water they Matched, and the little worms
were barely visible to the naked eye in a
strong light.
h., ,1,o A
lungs in coughing they are filled with |
eggs, which, though afterwards dried or
immersed in water, retain their vitality, |
rs has been shown, for three years, ready |
to infect the creature that gets them in |
side. so 1t is unsafe to pasture the infect |
ed ground for four years, at least When |
thrown into water they live, after hatch |
ing, for a long time, seem to congfegate |
about sedge roots, and, though they do |
not seem to become entirely matured, will |
attain considerable size, and cattle are in
fected by drinking them. When the eggs |
are dry they are like invisible dust and
in dry weather are doubtless waited by |
the wind to considerable distances, and |
cattle are infected by breathing in the |
eggs. Thus 1t can be seen why the infec- |
ton is considered to be from overwet as |
well as from very dry seasons. 1t is not at !
all necessary that the female should lay |
her eggs, forif she dies she becomes liter
ally bag containing hundreds of thou
sands OF them, all ready to spring into eX-
iStence under favorable circumstances. |
But how are we to escape this subtle enc
my for such indeed it is. In Europe, |
shires larger than our counties have lost |
their herds. 1t is often called pleuro- |
pneumonia, and treated as such 1t is as |
fatal, as contagious. and as dangerous as
any disease can be. Let our State awaken
before it is too late. No one knows where |
the infection in Vermont was taken and |
no one can know how near it is to their |
own door. With the greatest interest of
our State at stake, our legislature should
not be amiss in providing against any pos
sible harm to that interest in the future.
Though no human hand can prevent death
at some time, the appearance of this dis
ease in Vermont, and more recently in
New Hampshire, should have an effect ON
the care bestowed by the people to stamp
out such disease. There will, however,
be time to think. The drought of last
summer and the consequent shortness and
bad condition of the food supply upon
which the animals were carried through
tie exceptionally severe winter which
followed, has probably had great deal to
do with the extraordinary prevalence of
diseases among all kinds of domestic ami
mails during the past few weeks.
Very Remarkable Recovery.
Mr.. Geo. V. willing, of Manchester, Mich,