The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-02-20
Harm nnfrB.
l,lul.e. IN catsle aaa sheep.

The following correspondence APP
pears In the Rural Press:
EDITORS PRESS "A disease has ap-
peared among the dairy COWS here
abouts. The cows appear
well and in good order, but lie down
and become too weak to rise again,
and after a few hours a
day or two-they die. Upon opening
one of them recently, the gall was
enlarged to nearly three times its
proper size; the insides seemed to be
| In high state of Inflammation, and
from the outside of the intestines the
inclosed parasites were detached.
Tho specimens were originally an inch
long and resembled diminutive fiat
| fish. They were the color of the
animals flesh, and each one was at
tached to it by little sucker end.
When detached from the intestine,
they curled up and struggled. In its
body could be distinctly seen globules
OF blood, and there were thousands OF
parasites in the animal. There is no
doubt that they were the cause OF
death. Can you give any information
that may lead to the prevention of
the spread of this malignant disease ?
Reader, Marin county.
EDIFoRs Press The writer quite
L tltdIlA AEHCIIt1tS Il IlctdSt anu It's
cause which has hitherto attracted
but little attention in this country.
Previous notices of it have been con-
fined 70 the statements of veterin-
arians, who have found the fiukes-
the cause-either in the liver or in the
| lungs. The animals in which the
iiukes have been found have been
either Texan or Californian cattle
The writer, an enploye of the bureau
Of animal industry, was, during the
last summer, directed by the secretary
Of agriculture, Hon. j. NJ Rusk, TO
investigate the diseases of cattle
caused by animal parasites ON the
Pacific Coast and in Texas, and, while
pursuing these duties, found the
fiukes in various localities, but not in
sufficient force at that season to cause
serious disease. He also learned that
DIR. NJ. Francis of College Station,
Texas, had investigated, during the
previous winter, an outbreak of the
disease in southern Texas, in which
the loss ran up into hundreds OF cattle.
The disease is caused by fiat sole
like worm, which is swallowed by the,
cattle when eating or drinking. It is
small, round, microscopic body,
usually attached to the grass in the
vicinity of ponds, swales or marshy
ranges. I could not say without in
vestigation whether cattle grazing on
tule lands were more affected with the
disease than others or not, but priori
should think that they would be.
The parasites are not usually all
taken in at once but through days and
weeks. After they reach the stomach,
they usually find their way INTO the
liver, and sometimes into the abdomen
where your correspondent found
them. When in the liver their pres
ence may be detected by. cutting into
the enlarged and thickened white
gall-ducts or into the black, rotten
looking masses which they sometimes
make there or in the enlarged gall
bladder.
The fiukes which your correspondent
found had invaded the animal from
two to three months earlier, for it is
said that it takes about this time for
them to reach such size During
this time the suckers had been con
stantly removing blood from the cow
and causing her to be more and more
bloodless. In addition to the anRmia
thus produced, an intense infiamma-
ton of the lining membrane of the
inside cavity of the cow was set up by
the irritation they produced, which
was really the cause of the animal 5
death This peritonitis has, / believe,
been noticed earlier in Europe but
not in this country.
For the disease taken at the stage
when your correspondent wrote, no
medicinal remedy will serve TO cure
the patients. Tonics, as gentian, sui
phate of iron and ginger, and the best
possible nutritive feeding, may serve
to carry the cattle through the disease
il they are not too badly invaded.
The remedial treatment should have
been begun about three months
earlier, as in August or September.
/ 1ulS MOulQ COAStSb III AOhhOf1hS tAAO
cattle from the marsh lands to the
drier pastures, especially if the season
happens to be a wet one. I realize
the difficulty of carrying out this pre-
caution by the majority of cattlemen.
1t is given as practical precaution
for a few who can carry it out and q
necessary precaution for all who
would avoid the disease. Provide, il
possible, drinking water from run
ming water or from tanks or troughs
The disease usually lasts from five tC
six months, but this depends upon the
removal from or continued exposure
to the invading hosts.
4 The loss falls upon the producer
for not only is the disease fatal, but
when. not fatal it reduces the flesh and
the milk of those affected. III the
meat is sold, it is not dangerous te
the consumer unless the animal is
slaughtered when in an acute fever
but it is less nutritious and worth less
per pound as an article of food
Cooper Curtice, Veterinarian, Dept
of Agr., Washington, d. C.
r.,l,a