The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1886-06-04
The Egis & Intelligencer
Contagious Pleuro Pneumonia.
A TALK BEFORE THE DEER CREEK
FARMERS CLUB.
DISEASES OF CATTLE CAN BE TRANSMITTED
m

A TALK BEFORE THE DEER CREEK
FARMERS CLUB.
DISEASES OF CATTLE CAN BE TRANSMITTED
TO MAN.
desire, before enter into the depths of
my subject, to call yoar attention to the great
Importance that the contagious diseases of
our domestic animals really bear to the public
health and the financial interests of our coun-
try. 1t has long been matter Of fact that there
are many diseases Of animals that can be
transmitted to man, both by contact with the
animal, as in handling horses and milking
cows affected with certain Diseases or in the
eating OF flesh and drinking of milk contain.
ing poisonous germs or parasites, and there
fore totally unfit for food. Very little atten-
ton is paid to such thoughts as these, as q
general rule, until the danger is ecutely por-
trayed by seeing or hearing of some one suf-
fering from disease contracted in this very
way. How often do those who closely read
the daily or weekly papers, notice instances
OF entire families Frustrated and dying from
trichinoss, Il disease but slightly less terrible
than hydrophobia, which is caused by the
presence Of minute parasites, the hichina
SptrdIiS, in the human system, and manfests
itself by excruciating pains in the bowels and
muscles, the result of the burrowing of the
parasites in seeking place suitable for i'm
planting themselves. 1t was the presence of
trichna in American pork that caused Ger
many to put an embargo on our pork trade
with her, thus causing great loss and fall
ing of in exports to that country and engen-
dering petty angry feelings between the two
governments.
Again, tuberculosis or consumption of the
lungs, scarlet fever and typhoid fever can be
mentioned as being transmitted to man in
the milk of cows; in fact, violent epidemics
of scarlet fever in children have been traced
down to the starting point, and found TO have
emanated from the COWS furnishing the milk
that the children had been fed upon. The
death OF many children can no doubt be at
tributed to the impurity and diseased condi-
ton of milk used for food, and the pallid
faces and stunted forms of many more bear
witness to the effects of attacks on their sys-
TENS by the same poisonous Influences
There are many other diseases that may be
contracted by the ingestion of flesh and milk,
and among them many common ones that,
although they may not Immediately endanger
life, eventually undermine the system to such
an extent that they finally cause death indi-
rectly. The tape-worm is q parasite that
takes its beginning from parasite called
the cysttcercus that is taken into the body in the
flesh of the beef or pig, each Of which varie
ty infests. 1t is not necessary to describe the
illScTy one Vi IntUl call cause Dy lis pres
enCe in the human intestines.
THE IMMENSE LOSSES BY CATTLE DISEASE.
When we consider the enormous losses
each year of cattle from contagious diseases,
we can readily see the relation they bear to
the finances of the country The entire
number of cattle owned at the present time
in the United States, is materially the same
us it was ten years ago, showing no immense
increase as should be, when the increase in
the number OF stock raisers, and the amount
ofreclaimed grazing lands, is taken into con-
sideration This can be attributed to the
presence of contagious diseases in the herds,
depicting them in one part of the country by
anthrax commonly called black leg or quar-
ter ilD and in the other part by contagious
pleuro-pneumonia. According to special re-
port No. -, U. S. Department of Agriculture,
for 1879, the total amount oflosses from con-
tagious and infectious diseases, for 1879, sum
med up to &c., ,42S and as nearly ten years
have elapsed since then, and these diseases
have rapidly spread over large districts and
consequently caused more mortality, the
losses will now very nearly amount to
500, 100000 per annum. Should these figures
not be sufficient to impress upon the public
mind the danger of allowing these diseases to
progress in virulence until they spread over
the entire country, thus involving the entire
live StOCh VI Tue COuulTy!
THE FOREIGN TRADE IN CATTLE.
The United States has great trade with
foreign countries in the shipment oflive stock,
and of canned and dressed meats; and if the
diseases now prevalent be allowed to run on
unchecked this great item of our commerce
may be entirely blotted out for years to come.
England is comparatively free from any con-
tagious among her domestic animals, and she
is only kept so by strict system of veterinary
police and inspection. An instance of the
care taken is shown, to our modification, in
the disposal of cattle landed from the United
States. All cattle on being landed are driven
into stables on the docks, and kept there but
a short time, while undergoing careful in
spection; they are then slaughtered in houses
also on the docks, and the lungs and other
vscera are also rigidly inspected for LESSONS
OF contagious pleuro pneumonia and other |
diseases. The expectation of live cattle into |
England is therefore impossible, as every
animal has to be slaughtered on the docks |
before the consgnces can obtain them, and |
then they are, as rule in very poor condi |
tion, after the rigors of voyage across the |
ocean in the close quarters of a steamship.
GUARANTEED FROM OTHER |
STATES.
Especially should the farmers and stock
breeders of Maryland become interested in this |
subject, since, as is shown in Governor Lloyd's |
to the present Legislature: 1--WE |
find ourselves quarantined by nearly all the
States and Territories west of the Mississippi |
river; and by the States of Illinois, Ohio, In
diana, Kentucky and Michigan east of said
river" This quarantine is placed on us be- |
cause we have pleuro pneumonia among |
us in fact, we are known as the h0tbed of the |
disease, as it is almost invariably traced down |
to Baltimore as the starting point, after an |
outbreak in other States. In fact, contagious
plcuro pneumonia has increased in this State |
so per cent. or even rs per cent. since the pres
ent State Inspector came into the Office. We |
are likely to keep this trouble among us, I'M
less radical means are taken at once and car
ried into effect, to totally eradicate the dis
ease from our herds, and thereafter keep |
ourselves free from it by stringent sanitary |
measures. Massachusetts is entirely free from |
this disease, as the authorities went at it
tooth and nail regardless of the seemingly |
great expense, and did not stop until there |
was no trace of the trouble; now they can |
boast that they are free of the disease, unre-
strained by guarantees of other States, and
that the apparently heavy cost of becoming |
so, has proved in reality very economical.-
Enough stress cannot be laid upon the i'm
portance of strict veterinary sanitary in
spection of this Stale, for the only way that
we can Tree ourselves entirely vi tnlS pest, is
to root it out, to grub it out by the roots and
burn the refuse.
HOG CHOLERA AND CHAMBERS.
Governor Lloyd did not say word |
in his message in regard to the exist
ence of hog cholera, Or CHAMBERS among
horses both of which diseases are prevalent |
to a more or less extent, and which seem to |
attract no attention Mt all from our State |
Veterinarian. Surely hog cholera is causing
enough loss to farmers. 10 many of whom |
the losses are distressing, in destroying a
great source of their income, as to demand
attention from those whose duty is to inves-
tigate epizootics among our domestic animals,
no matter what the nature may be, or what
class Of animals may be attacked. Cases of !
CHAMBERS exist at present among the horses