Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-01-04
VETERINARY VIEWS.
DR.. Corcoran Again Furnishes a
CommonSense Article on the
Horse Disease.
Why the Aborigines Favored
Firing the Prairie Grass Every
Year-Ergot in Feed.
(Communieaied.)
Ergotism in Horses,

Since last writing you on the sub.
jet Of ergotism, several Hypothetical
questions have propounded them.
selves to me, viz: Why did our prede.
cessors, the Indians, burn the grasses
year after year! TO get new grass, II
ia said. Why? Was not the old as
good and nutritious as we find 1t in
these days? And would not the new
grass grow as IL does now, whether the
prairies were burned or not? Did not
the Indians occasionally find the
grasses diseased as we find them now,
creating havoc among their herds? /
do not suppose that the present gener-
alton Of Indians could give US any sat.
isfactory information on this subject,
as the practice was no doubt trsdi-
tionary with them, though believe II
well worth looking into.
As to the presence Of rust and smut
tergot) on the grasses for the past two
We irs, aud the existence OF this dis.
ease (ergotism; that has depleted so
many valuable herds during the pat
two years, there can be no doubt.
Scores of letters that have received
from the most intelligent horse breed
ers In all sections of the territory sincs
I have commenced the discussion Of
this matter In the columns Of the
YELLOWSTONE JOURNAL, attest thos,
facts beyond cavil. Some OF YOU
readers may think me an alarmist, bu
/ can assure them that / would no,
have written a word on this subject
had I not had their interests NJ wei
as those Of the country that / expec
10 make my hom-, at heart.
/ have had much interesting and In
structive experience in Montana aud
the territories adjoining In the same
latitude and believe II 10 be the natural
home Of the equine species. I have
visited localities In Washington Ter.
ritory where foesll remains OF the
horse still are to be found, and am
satl. fed from these aud other indica-
tions that herds OF horses thrived on
our plains before the advent of Chris
topher Columbus.
With all the great advantages We
possess for raising q superior class o
hor-es, l would still advise our hors'
growers not to tempt, but rather assis
nature just little, by taking the pre-
caution TO examine the ranges ant
paslu ures In the search for these dele
ferrous grasses, and when found max
ing some effort to destroy them. A
good swee ling prairie fire might be ,
blessing In some localities and proven
u repetition OF the present trouble fo
years TO come.
IL may be OF interest to your reader'
to peruse some extracts from standar,
authorities In reference to the effect
of ergot on the animal and human
species. Some Of these were furnishe,
by DIR. Redd. who takes deep interes
| in the matter and who thorough!
agrees with me In my theory Of tn
cause Of the prevailing trouble.
Finday Dun, gives ~ the symptom
of smaller domestic animals whicI
have been subjected TO the influence
Of ergot; nausea, impaired appetite.
weak, Irregular pulre. room becoming
Intermittent, disrtbea, paralysis, par
lticuisrly OF the hind extremities. i'm
pairnirnt Of the special senses, wastin
and general debility.
Fleming's Manual saye: The ergo
on rye, wheat, etc., has also given fis
to extensive disease In man and ami
mails, marked by coDvul-ions, paraly
sis, dry gangreDe Of the linlbs, loss q
hair and horn and other strange phe
nomena. In animals fed OF
"rustyu straw, sickness, disease an,
utatO unNt bttu pt'nu'rts
must be remembered that the nitro
ge oous elements OF plants are read
solu BILE in water, and therefore may b
removed by wet; bsy, straw and othe
forage may be- thus Affected and no
only lose their nntritive qualities, bu
acquire abnormal qualities becomipI
mouidy. blighied. heated. or aff.cte'
with rust. copfefsing properties yer,
pr.judicial to health.
In the Therapeuiic- and Materil
Medlca of Alfred Stille we find tina
where from half an ounce 10 tw.
ounces Of ereot were given daily n :
mule, from the second day the pulls
fell, the heart grew feeble. irrsguls'
and Jerking. the breath slow and deep
the appetite and flesh failed; reniu-
lousnsrs, n stragglIng enIt and dulIpss'
succeeded. The same wi er no'ss
ana ,modic disease. ~ rlhu,sd to erro'-
ixed rye, that prevailed ln Hess NJ In
tervsis during the 18th. 17ti and lSh
centuries among the humsn race nnd
which hss beeA repeatedly prevrlrn'
In Germany and F'ance where rye u
much cultivated. OF the two forms o|