Arizona weekly citizen., 1894-03-10
DEADLY CHAMBERS.
An Alarming Epidemic Among
Horses Broken Gut.
Every Step Being Taken to Keep
tho Disease In Check-Losses to
Owners and Sufferings Among
tho Animals.

Colin Cameron, chairman of the ter
ritoriai live stock sanitary commission,
has returned from the Salt valley,
where a most fearful misfortune has
struck the horss there. Chambers. a
disease for which there is no cure, and
which is contagious, not only
between equines but also to human kind
and other animals, has broken out there,
in great virulence. Animals have been
condemned, some have died of the
disease and all affected or exposed OBJ
tainable have been quarantined.
The effects of the disease are dreadful.
The horse when effected is first troubled
with running at the nose. A tester
forms in the nostrils, which runs freely.
The head begins to decay and the same
effect SPREADS throughout the body.
Inc ge0Itive organs are particularly
affected. Sores come cut on the animal
and it suffers pitifally till a merciful
bullet comes or the rottenness finally
consumes it. Every living thing near
it apparently becomes affected. 1t is
even tod that it IS not safe to bury the
bodies Of animals dead of the disease,
but that they should be cremated.
Vegetation growing over the buried
| carcasseS If eaten by other animals will
transmit the disease to them.
Mr.. Cameron sent the following
telegram, relative to the outbreak:
PHoEeIx, A. T. March 5. 1894.
To DR.. ID. E. SALMON,
Chit Of Bureau of Animal Industry,
Wash ngton, d. @.
There is a bad outbreak of CHAMBERS
near Phoenix. Several horses have
already been killed and forty one head
affected are now quarantine. Many
others have been exposed. The disease
is speeding. Please send some veteri-
marian experienced in this disease to
take staps to stamp out the disease.
Answer.
COLIN CAMERON,
Chairman Live Stock Sanitary com
misIon.
To which DR.. Salmon made reply as
follows:
WASHINGTON. ID. O., March 5.
To COLIN CAMERON, Phoenix:
The department has taken no action
concerning CHAMBERS and hes no veteri-
MARIAN that can be sent tO your place.
This disease must be controlled by
local authorities.
d. 2. SALMON,
Chief of Bureau.
The disease was first brought to the
valley from Texas, as long past as six
years ago, by horses belonging to man
named George, living near Tempe.
Animals died. two or three, in the course
of year, but the disease did not break
out with great virulence till last
November.
One man now has a horse there that
stands with legs outstretohed, matter
running from its nostrils and other
parts. On its body are sixty sores. A
more miserable object could not be
conceived. The owner was asked by
Mr. Cameron why Re did not kill it.
well" was the reply, "why don't
your board kill it, if your want it
killsd?" The man wanted to realize on
the poor brute, from the territory,
Arizona bong reeponeible for oil ami
mails condemned.
Before hn animal can be killed how
ever, much red tape must be gone
through. The board consists of FIVE
memb rs, scattered from Prescott to
Lochiel, and before strong measures can
be taken they must be called together.
This cannot be done earlier than next
Saturday. Meanwhile all horses at
fected, so far as possible, have been
quarentlned, at present those III
quarantine about forty-cne head.
One pair Of mules sold that had been
exposed went far into the ella vail v.
They will be followed and quarentined
if possible kept from spreading the
diseases up there.
A rancher named B7awley, poor
man, whose income was in his horses.
ost forteen head. He is in hopes the
will c0mpeusate him. Another
man, John Barley, lost thirty-six head |
n one nerd.
A mar there, recently returned from |
Los Angeles county, California, when |
ne saw the affected horse mentioned |
above refused TO go near It. Il know |
enough about tn I disease to abhor it." |
he said. He told Mr.. Cameron OF a |
Ioung woman in California he had |
cen, who was a victim of t.
Every measure will be taken 10
Arizona TO keep the disease in check,
md above all to keep it from the herds
N the ranges.
When the next Legislature meets the
anitary laws will be modified: probably
o empower one man to condemn
and make the board less
lnwieldy by reducing its number to
hree men.