Western Kansas world., 1893-04-01
HOW LuMPY JAW DEVELOPS.
state Veterinarian Casewen Talks Of the
Disease.

The further investigations are pur-
sued in the matter Of lumpy-jawed
cattle at the Union Stock Yards the
more it becomes apparent that the
danger exists without sufficient pre-
caltionary measures to circumvent
it. That actinomycosis is contagious
and that it is a disease that may be
transmitted to man is almost the
universal opinion of scientists who
have investigated the subject That
on an average twenty-five head Of
cattle so diseased is cut out each
week by Agent Mcdonald at the
yards is beyond dispute, but it IS
possible that otherS-many others
may be passed over in the 20, 900
head of daily receipts. These posi-
bilitieS together with the fact that
there are packers who do not report
cases of diseased animals, but wait
until they are cut out by inspectors,
lend an ugly significance to the dan
gers of actinOmycosiS State Veteri-
marian John Casewell was seen re-
Gently in reference to the general con-
ditions Of inspection at the Union
Stock Yards He was conservative,
but believing in the danger of the
disease he thought it matter that
might be taken up with good results.
The doctor had just returned from
the stock yards and in his pocket he
had a small cross-section Of the heart
of a steer condemned after it was
dressed by one of DR.. Hickman's men.
The Government condemnation was
based upon the abnormal lesion of
the heart, and it was pronounced
tuberculosis. DR.. Casewell holds it
to be actlnOmycOsis, and a refutation
of the idea that Iumpy-Jaw is never de-
velOped in the muscles of the animal.
There is good deal to be said
about the dangers of lumpy-jaw at
the Union Stock Yards" said Dr.
CaSewell. "On an average there are
from twenty-five to thirty head of
cattle suffering from lumpy-Jaw,
which are cut out from incoming lots
during the week and condemned
Saturdays. One man looks after this
work, while instructions are issued to
the yards gate-tenderS to do the
same when animals with the outward
marks Of the disease are sighted.
All Of this inspection was done on
foot however, and in the carcasseS of |
some slaughtered animals there are
plain marks Of the disease when jaw !
itself is normal In these cases only i
the city inspectors have an oppor- |
tunIty to discover them. Actinomy- |
COSTS is fungus growth and, like all |
vegetable growths, springs from a
seed. An animal which may show |
absolutely no mark of actinOmycosiS |
may have the disease distributed |
through its entire body. From the |
time OF inOculation the disease de-
YelopS in the tissues of the neck be-
fore the end of six weeks Cattle |
which have been fed alongside of ami
mails so affected are Liable to have
the disease when showing no mark
whatever
"As a disease, lumpy-jaw is de-
creasing. Two years ago it was not
unusual for us to cut out
100 head a week. At all times there
has been a temptation to packers to
run these animals into the slaughter
pens. Slaughtered for food they are
worth , or E cents, against l cent a
pound for the rendering tanks.
Saturday evening, Feb. 6, 1890,
DR.. John Scott advised me of ship
ment of cattle from Peoria, some Of
which were afflicted with lumpy-law.
Sundays there are no Inspectors at
the yards, and these cars were to have
arrived early Sunday morning. 1
went down to the yards and found
Nelson Morris men waiting to receive
them. They saw me and disappeared.
The train, however, didn't arrive. 1
made inquiries and found that it had
been stopped outside the city to await
nightfall. Just at dark | appeared
at the yards, put the cattle in quar-
antlne, and next day cut out eight
head badly afflicted with lumpy-jaw.
If they had been driven into the
slaughter pens the flesh might have
passed. There is a disposition on the
part of some houses at the yards not
to report them at once, but with 9TH
erS we have only the watchfulnesS of
one man to insure condemnation. To
inspect every one of a days arrivals
would take an army Of men, but as
for the States work l can say it is
careful, so far as the means 60"
DR.. CaSewell was asked if he knew
Of any person IN this city afflicted
with actinomycosis. He had under
stood that DR.. ]. B. Murphy of A
Throop street was treating woman
Tor that diesase, but the doctor was
put of the city yesterday. DIR. Ochsner
of the Presbyterian Hospital has had
what was considered case of lumpy-
aw in patient, hut microscopic
proved differently. In
medical annals 273 cases are known
20 the world, and Of these DR.. Murphy
has created three, all of them In
Chicago. He holds to the danger of
eating the flesh Of lumpy-jawed ami
mails, and his testimony was the most
'adical deduced in the Greenhut-
Pearson trial last October Chicago
Inter Ocean.
The French Arithmetical Row