The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-09-11
HAEM0GL0BlNURIA.
IMPORTANT AEt!CLE on THAT
COMMON DISEASE OE CATTLE
DR.. Wyman, the Veterinary Sur
gcon at Clemson College, Gives
Some Practirn, Information
to Breeders OF Cattle

|
DR.. Wyman, the veterinary surgeon ut
Clemson College. South Caroliua:
The moro or less severe losses which
| stock owners in our State safer every
summer by their cattle dying from
| baemoglobinuria, commonly known as
red water, moor i'll. wood III, bloody
| urine, are the direct cause of this bull
| letin; the preventive measures given as
we'll as the symptoms and treatment of
this disease, so far as such is possible,
may be of value to oul cattle owners in
saving their stock in the future. The
various outbreaks of hacmog glohinuria
SO far Investigated by me- within tho
last two years, characterize it as dis
case attacking the mucous membranes
of the stomach, intcstines and uri-
nary organs, with eXcretion CT urine
more or less bloody or smoky in
color. Invariably ] hare found that
animals taken down with red water
had been pasturcd on low meadows,
or there had been low spots
in the otherwise more elevated
pastures. AS rule these pastures hal
little branch running through them,
alder, sumach, bottom wood oaks and
other astringent and irritant plants.
These pastures show here and there
slumps Of shade II ees with pale looking
grass underneath them. So far all out
breaks noted begin eight days to five
weeks after the weather in early sum-
mer grown hot and dry; at this time
the cattle rest the greater part Of the
day in the shady spots, browsing on
the oak and eating the pickly looking
grasses growing underneath the shade
trees, actually destroying the foliage
and leaving the bare twigs of the various
trees and shrubs mentioned above.
Several places visited with the view of
gaining information rs to the cause of
this disease had certain shady spots in
their pastures, the shady trees being
oaks mostly, and n great amount grass
growing under them. The writer has
been invsribly informed thut since
these shady spots have been fenced in.
thus preventing the cattle from feeding
there, no more cases of red wator have
made their appearance. The disease is
most frequently seen in June md in the
fall OF the year. Cattle of all ages and
conditions arc subject to it, while
those rouyhing it all tho year around
In those pastures are not 30 readily
taken sick, probably from the fact that
they are accustomed to the particular
food, or ss our people term it, ''they
are not good enough to be Killed."
Cattle we'll cared for and suddenly put
out on these pastures arc most readily
attacked. Cows once attacked and re-
covering from it are by no means ex-
clnded from a second attack, as have
Cd occasion to see repeatedly, nor
are such second attacks any milder in
nature than the foregoing one had
boon. The food these animals eat con-
tsins some poisonous substance. which
is taken up into the blood from the
stomach or intestines. In order to
make the actions and results of this
trouble more intelligible, ono must
have some knowledge of the nature OF
the blood. The blood is made up of
solid and liquid parts. OF the solid
parts tho red blood cells are of grcnt
interest in the development of the red
water. These red blood cells, little
disks concave on either side and about
l-3 800 inch III size, contain color
ing matter of q reddish color, called
haemoy ylobin. 1t seems that the pccu-
liar poison taken into tie body by the
food on entering the blood current
breaks down the r>d blood cells, set
ting the colorlng ln9tcr Of these sells
| free. The blood thus altered Reaches
the kidneys, which are the Great aliens
of the body taking ont Il the L!ool
| most of the iniuri,IIz sub-irrrny u,,)