Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-18

laws preventing free delivery OF danger.
Gus cattle makes II unsafe to allow cattle
from such districts to 90 into the same
cars and yards of those further north. ,,
The assertion j. made that The Gulf and
Gull Atlantic states Hre infected with the
disease to the same degree as Texas, and
strict local regulation of cattle coming
from these states Is advised. In con-
Guiding that portion of the report re-
lating to Texas fever the secretary says:
1.-The discovery of q germ in the red
corpuscles of the blood in this disease-a
germ entirely distinct from bacteria, but
belonging to the proiozoa-was men,
toned IN the report of last year. This
notable discovery was abundantly con-
frmed by the Investigations OF the year
Just past, and an additional point il the
problem has been brought to light.
''1t has long been suspected by cattle
owners that the appearance of the dis
ease in Northern cattle vas in some wav
connected with the ticks distributed by
Southern cattle. This hypothesis has,
2isssksver. been eentfHi42 dlsrredited by
lin flu r oft w4s veE1 ight and iutang-
9Etion, SasfssAk result mas Le-n
to lfuce indispn,at evidence tina, the
sase IS produced yseticks from South
ern cattle. a
''Ticks taken fro1i Southern animals
and placed III pasturps. which could have
been infected in na other way, so in
fecisd these grounds that susceptible
cattle placed upon them contracted the
disease in the same length of time, and
we're as seriously affected US We're other
susceptible cattle placed uron pastures
in company with Southern cattle.
Again, young ticks that were Matched
from the eggs OF large ticks picked from
Southern cattle were placed upon sus-
crptihie animals and produced the
disease.
There are, consequently, two factors
in the production of Southern fever ID
the tick, and (2) the protoZoal micro
organism which lives in and DESTROYS the
red blood corpusclrs of the affected cat
tie. Whore the tick obtains The prOto-
Znon is not yet known, hut that the
micro organism can be transmitted from
one generation OF ticks To another
through the egg lie demonstrated. 1t is
iraportan: 10 learn through how many
generations of ticks the germ can be
transmitted without losing its virulence.
and whether there Is any other means bT
W HWH IL gulIs RcteSS 10 Tue system OF
cattle in addition TO being introduced by
the puucru-es made by ticks.
''There are CIV IDENTIFY ticks which do
not harbor this minute parasite, because
cattle susceptible 10 Southern fever are
frequently badly infested with ticks
without showing any marked symptoms
OF disturbed health. On the other hand.
there may be means 10y which the prnIo-
zonn gains access to the blood of cattle /
independ ntlv of the agency of ticks,
hut it appears from the investigation
JUST made that in the MINORITY of cases
cattle are infected hy means OF ticks
That Is, the adult ticks drop from South
ern cattle ana lay their eggs upon the
pastures. The eggs hatch and the young
ticks get upon susceptible cattle and pro-
duce the disease.
IF this suppostion is correct IL is of
great practical importance. In the first
place, susceptible cartle taken to the
South for breeding purposes could be
projected from the fever by keeping
them in such u manner that they could /
not he infested with ticks, thnt is If they /
could lie Kept i'll stables not previously
occupied by other cattle, bedded with I
clean straw and fed upon hay or grass /
cut from fields where no cattle had been !
for considerable time. In the second !
place IL would seem that Southern cat !
tie might be rendered inuocuouS by |
washing them with some preparation |
that would destroy the ticks, or by |
holding them upon uninfected ground a .
sufficient time for the ticks which are
upon them 10 mature and drop TO the !
ground. hut not long enough upon any |
one pasture for tho young ticks to hatch |
and rein feet them.
'1he probability of reaching i'm
portant practical results is such that
these investigations should be continued |
until the subject is thoroughly UNDER
stood.
kIes yel7se,