The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-02-05
BACILLI IN THE GRASS.

ing young man, and his mIShap was
doubtless caused by too much whisky.
He was fined S20.
RACILLI IN THE GRASS.
The Mystery of Texas FeVer-Longhorns
Bring it North in SaIiva-A Theory
Consistent With the Diseases
Peculiar Laws.
Special Correspondenc of acknowledgements. |
WASHINGTON. D. c., January 20
That disease Of mysterious cause and
peculiar laws of infection, the Texas
cattle fever, received considerable
scientific attention last summer from
the Department OF Agriculture.
DR.. II. J. Detmers spent several
months in pursuing his investigation,
and he has lust submitted his cOnclu-
siols to Commissioner LOrlng. In
several respects his findings will rath-
er staItle the practical veterinarians
OF the ranch and the trail, for these
deductions run counter to the average
cowman's theories.
DR., DetmerS says that the cause OF
this fever isn't TO be found in the
climate or high temperature sof Tex
as. The infectious principle is kind
of bacilii, which finds its way into the
Texas cattle from their feeding on
mixture Of the new grass and the
old grass after the latter has c0mmenc-
ed to decay from the influence OF the
warm spring rains. Having taken
one good meal off this heritage the
Texas cattle are in a condition to
leave the bacili wherever they go on
northern ranges.
FROM MOUTH TO MOUTH.
Now, here comes the point which
will cause the coWmen to wonder at
science. DR.. DetmerS says this con-
| tagion is carried in the saliva OF the
! Texas cattle. and wherever they are
allowed To Craze on northern ranges
they leave the bacilli clinging to the
bl .des of grass. 1t may be days or
weeks OF months afterwards when
native stock, passing over the
ground grazed, crop off the grass
which has been moistened with the
saliva of the long-horns and become
infected.
DR.. Detmers takes up the peculiar
laws OF this disease, which the west
ern cattleman knows SO well, and
shows how consistent they are with
his theory. Texas cattle may feed on
thier ranges and eat this mixture OF
fresh and decaying grasses year after
year, but they never have the
fever. They become inoculated,
40 to speak. with the bacilli. But,
as already stated, after one good meal
on this decayilg grass they are II
condition to infect every range the
Craze on and every water hole al
which they drink. Let the herd be
started north before the old grass has
begun to decay and they will not en-
danger the northern pastures. Inc
observations of the doctor convinced
him that the further south the cattle
came from the more virulent was the
perfection they brought. Thus nero
from near the northern boundary OF
the country, where the decaylDg
grass favored propagation OF the b&'
cilli, carried north degree OF the Te'
yer not so severe or so dangerous a.
|, that brought from lower latitude.
Northern cattle shipped to TeXa;
and allowed to feed on this decaylnG
grass are doomed.
THE BACILLI ARE STAYERS.
The infectious principle which thu
loDghoTns leave wherever their sallVi
drops remains there. Iii not carried
: by the winds. The bacteria thus lei
undergo a period of incubation. /
!, ncrther cattle come upon the tral
, within a few days after the Texans
the disease is a comparatively lon&
time manifesting itself in them. /
some weeks have elapsed since tn
Texas cattle grazed there, then III
disease is more rapid in its action
Cattiemen know that wire fence b.
( tween Eorthern and Texas herds vii
preserve the former from contagion
+, Dr.. DetmeIs' theory shows how tina
fact can be easily accounted foT
, Practi al stock handlers have had d.
sorts Of explanations to account 10
: the infection. Some have maintained
stoutly that the ticks on soatueri
herds carried the fever to northern
, stock.
with these southern herds that whe
on the trail they ''slaver" more pro
fusely than other cattle. This saily
is sticky, and the microscopic organ
f isms contained in it are thus glue
= to the stems of grass as the animal
Craze. The bacteria thus deposlte
: find conditions favorable 10 propaga
f ton and development. particularl..
late in summer, and that is the tim
, when there is most danger OF thi
= fever on northern ranges. Then tn
grass has attained its maturity, an
has commenced to decay il northern
, attitudes.
!, DEMONSTRATING THE THEORY,
DR.. Detmers made some expert
, ments which go far 10 sustain hi
!, theory. Post-mortem examinations 0
affected cattle in the North convince'
him that he had a bacteTitic disease T.
deal with. He found bacilli cf COZ
slant occurrence in the diseased parts
l particularly in the liYers and spleen
of cattle that had died Of the fever
While in Texas he was repeatedly tolt
: by the ranchmen that they CONSIDERS
their so-called ''hog-wollow" lam
most dangerous for grazing. DR.. Bet
mers took the dead grass from tn
q wailows and made artificial infusion
D by pouring rain-water over the blades
! Upon examination he found bacteria
and among them, IN large OF small
l numbers, Dacilli closely resembling il
size and form those he had discovers
: in his post-mortems of the northern
cattle which had died of the fever.
3 Northern cattle fter taking the dis
1 ease from the trail of Texans, neye
{ communicate it to others of thAC kind
or infest pastures. This is a law 0
the fever Which all rancbmen recog
: nize. DR.. Detmers finds 10 trouble II
) reconciling this with his theory
: Northern cattle, on contracting IN
: disese, almost invariably die of it be
fore thesysfsm become2 SO accustOln
: ed 10 the lactsrja that the latter vii
| be present and constantly Reproduced
in the mucls secretions of the moutl