Huntsville gazette., 1886-01-02
PLEURO.PNEUMONIA.


How the Disease Should he Treated-va1.
liable Hints to Farmers.
The breaking out in portions of the
West of a contagious disease supposed
to be pleuro-pneumonia, by which
hundreds Of head of cattle have per-
ished, admonishes us to be well-in-
formed as to the right way to meet an
invasion of that terror of stock-owners.
If it be rumored that the epidemic is
approaching, and an animal chances
to fall sick, it is. not wise to yield to
panic and summarily kill the creature.
Wait at least till sure that no error has
been made in diagnosis. Moreover,
medical and sanitary measures may
perchance cure the attack if it is
pleuro-pneumonia, and prevent the
spread of contagion. Veterinary
science has made much advancement
in the last few decades, SO that where
as under the old methods cattle fell
before this "murrain" as leaves in
autumn, now in England more than
half the animals attacked by it are
cured. Peter Stuart, Esq, of Ditton
Lodge, Eng, says: 81 have treated up
wards of one hundred and eighty cows,
laboring under this malady, and Of
those one hundred and thirty were
saved" In this country the proper
ton that recover is no less, where the
animals attacked have careful nursing
and skilled modern treatment. In
view of these encouraging facts, do
not humanity and our own interests
appeal to us not to destroy our useful
domestic animals in rash haste, GER
tainly not until it is proven that the ex-
ecutioner must of necessity act instead
of the physician? Statistics convey only
faint idea of the appalling destruction
of cattle and the pecuniary loss thereby
marking the course of this disease.
Think of two hundred and eighteen
thousand head destroyed in nineteen
years in one department in France;
one million four hundred and four
thousand and ninety-seven, in
thirteen years, in Australia; and
considerably more than million
in six years in the United Kingdom!
Is there not reason to fear that thou
sands of these valuable animals were
doomed to be killed as infected with
the disease when they had it notp And
that thousands of others died of it that
need not, had they been given the
right attention and the right medicine?
Not long since ''horse doctors" de-
cided a valuable cow to be i'll with the
dreaded disorder, prescribed the GUS
tomary "lead pill and directed that
all other cattle be taken out of the
reach of the contagion. A physician
chanced that way, examined the sick
animal and pronounced the diagnosis
erroneous, affirming that the trouble
was with the heart. The COW was
killed, but post naortem examination
was made from which it appeared that
a sewing-needle had worked it's way
into the region of the heart. Two vet.
erinarians diagnosed pleuro-pneumonia
as the disease affecting another valu-
able COW, and advised that she be shot.
A physician was called in; he con-
Cured in their diagnosis but begged
to try remedies to save her, and by
the use of disinfectants and vigi.
liant watch-care over the health
of the rest of the stock pre-
vented further sickness. The expert
enced and educated veterinarian can
tell the nature, seat and history of the
disease for which he prescribes-he
will not call it by the vague name Of
''cattle disease, and pour drastic drugs
down the throat of the suffering
creature at random, not knowing what
organs are specifically affected. If it
is contagious pleuro-pneumonia, he
will say SO; and is it too much to eX-
pect in this nineteenth century that he
will have something beside the butch
ers remedy to propose, at least in cases
mild and slow in their progress?
Stock-owners who live remote from
competent veterinarian should ac
quaint themselves with the salient
symptoms of the disease, that is, the
symptoms of Inflammation of the lungs
and the lining membrane. Any person
quick of hearing and of good judgment,
if he will practice applying the ear to
the chest walls of healthy animals,
and thus familiarize himself with the
sounds produced by their breathing,
will be able to detect the change in
those sounds caused by disease of the
organs in question. The other signs
of the disease are fever, quick and hur.
ried respiration, peculiar, short, dis.
tressed cough and rapid pulse, while
the animal points with its nose to the
sides of the body where the anguish is:
and whereas in spasmodic troubles of
the stomach or intestines the animal
will lie down and roll; in diseases OF
the lungs it may paw the ground and
act as if desiring to take therecumbent
position, but can not take it, only
when forced to from exhaustion.
1t would be well also to procure
from some practitioner successful in
treating the disease remedies therefor,
and be ready to combat its first in
vasion.-COr. N. Y. Examiner.
LA e