Middletown transcript., 1895-05-11

condemns tuberculous COWS with healthy
udders on the theory that the diseased
udder alone yields tuberoulous milk. The
facts are against the theory. Possibly
one-third of the tuberoulous cows with
sound udder are yielding consumptive
milk. This statement Is based upon the
latest experimental inquiry in this line.
The vital point in the matter is entirely
ignored by many farmers. If tuberculosis
did not affect man, was limited in its ef
fects to cows alone, tuberculin would still
be the herdsman's best friend, for one trl-
berculous COW may, in a single winter Of
close confinement, infect an entire herd,
and eventually lead to its complete de-
struction.
The opposition to tuberculin is based
entirely upon the losses which it entails.
If custom in this country sanctioned the
use of meat provided tuberculosis existed
in one cavity only of the condemned ami
NAL, it would put American farmers upon
the basis now legalized in continental Eu-
rope and would expedite the eradication
of the disease. If the Swedish plan of
breeding tuberculous cows in isolated
barns, removing the calves as soon as pos
sible after birth and in due time subject
ing them to the tuberculin test could. be
regarded with favor here. portion of the
loss might be avoided, but under present
customs and opinions one course only is
now open to this station. If herd test is
requested, the inquiry is at once made
whether the owner will kill condemned
COWS. If the answer is in the affirmative,
the test is Immediately carried out If in
the negative no action is taken.
HYDRoPHoBIA.
Method of Diagnosing This Disease-Should
Farmers Who Lose Horses and Cows by
Hydrophobia Receive Indemnity From
the Dog Tax?
The annual report of this station for
1898 deals in detail with this disease and
its treatment. Cases of it have been re-
ported during the winter from all parts of
the state. Direct and positive information
concerning it has come from one herd
only. In it three COWS died with symp-
toms new and strange to all of the herds
men of that section. Station men were
called to examine the fourth case. 1t was
recognized without difficulty. but as
gent men as to the nature of this trouble
the dying COW was killed, and its brain and
portion of its spinal cord were secured
under aseptic precautions. Injections of
fragments of said organs were then made
into rabbits Two weeks later these exper
mental animals died of hydrophobia.
At the request of the man who lost these
COWS, the station submitted this PROPOSE
L. g., 49, 80.
ty-viz: If sheep are mutilated by dogs
the owner of the flock can secure indem-
nifty from the county dog tax fund. Ii
COWS and horses are killed with hydropho-
bia, caused by dogs, why should not the
owner likewise secure indemnity from the
dog tax fund?
This matter was discussed at length
and is still under discussion. The princi-
pie is recognized, but the details cannot be
arranged In a manner guaranteeing pro-
lection against fraud in diagnosing the
disease.
SPINAL MENINGITIS IN HORSES.
mine Its Cause.
Cases of this disease occur at frequent
intervals, at all seasons of the year. but
l.
1895, 1t has taken form and exhibited a
virulence hitherto unknown here Six
barns, during this interval, have lost 21
horses and mules, and nothing can be done
except to order a change of stables and of
food. This generally stops the trouble
without however, aiding animals already
stricken.
EXPERIMENTAL WoRK.-Post mortem
4. E,,f,o
suits, have been frequently made. Bac-
THEOLOGICAL and biological studies have
proved nothing. Suspected food from all
portions of the state has been purchased in
stables suffering at the time from the dis
ease and has been fed to experimental
colts without inducing meningitis, and
finally blood had been transfused from
dying horse to healthy one, without dem
onstrating anything other than the valua-
BILE point that bacterial disease hosting in
the blood cannot be the cause Of the trou-
ble
AS opportunities present themselves in
jeotions of brain and nerve tissue from
horses dying Of this disease into healthy
subjects will be carried out, for symptoms
point to this course as one likely to re-
suit in profit.
MIcRoScoPIcALW WORK ON DISEASES
OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS.
The biological and microscopical work
involved in the study of anthrax and in
the preparation of its attenuated virus;
the same lines of work in tuberculosis, in
contagious abortion, in meningitis and in
diphtheria, and finally the examination of
pathological matter sent in by the Yeterina-
rian in cases Of uncertain diagnosis have
occupied much of the time of the bacteri-
ologist.
The study of disease of plants is includ-
ed among his duties. Early in the spring
Of 1894 elaborate preparations were made
by him for work on the peach rot and twig
blight in Kent county, but the failure Of
the crop put an end to it for that season.
Time was found for work upon the toma-
to blight. trouble which cost many grow
ers moro than one-half of their crop. This
study was to detect and isolate the fun
gus, determine its life history and how to
combat it's development = work which
must be continued during the season of
1895.
The Identification of a clover parasite,
technically known as the clover devil, was
made in Kent county. where ten acre
field of the red variety was nearly ruined
by it, and where the parasite was at that
time in seed formation. Directions were
given which, if followed, will prevent fur
ther trouble from that source
The developments in the study of i'm
munity against disease have been startling,
especially during the past five years. An
imals are now kept in waiting to furnish,
from their brain and spinal cords, relief
to human beings in danger of hydrophobia.
Horses, by long courses of patient work,
granted immunity against lockjaw, diph-
iberia and most recently against tubercu-
losis, are now held subject to call for blood
serum, to be used in healing patients af-
ected with tetanus, diphtheria and con-
sumption. The disease known as scratch
es in the horse and as cowpox in the bo-
vine species differs radically from small
pox in man, yet it furnishes the vaccine
which makes man immune to smallpox.
Work, still lacking the stamp of exact
ness, it is true, but carrying marks of val
ne, indicate that anthrax and bovine tu-
berculosis do not tolerate each other; that
as long as animals are immune to anthrax
they afford conditions extremely unfavor-
Ill for k1o