The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-16
DREAD ANTHRAX THERE
CATTLE DYING IN THE SOUTHERN
PART OF THE STATE.
Fire Only Can Stamp Out the Plague
Sanitary Commits iOn Ordered
to Evansville.

The intelligence that splenetic fever has
broken out in the southern part of the State
was received at the office of the State Board
of Health yesterday. There are it was re-
ported to the board, seventeen cows af-
f1icted with the disease in the dairy of Ed
ward Fawcett, in Floyd county. The board
was informed that the local health officer
there had quarantined the COWS and that
every precaution would be taken to prevent
the spread of the disease. Dread anthrax
is another term by which the disease, which
affects the spleen and liver of cattle and
sheep, is known. It is extremely fatal, and
while Pasteur discovered an antidote the
efficiency of which he successfully demon
strated, so little is known about handling
the cure in this country that extreme meas
ures are resorted to and the affected ami
mails are killed and burned. 1t is said that
if the carcasses were not destroyed by fire
but were buried the bacillus of the disease
would creep up through the soil and be eat
en- by cattle and sheep browsing on the
grass year afterward. Fire is regarded as
the only thing that will stamp out the dis
ease.
Immediately on receipt of the information
that splenetic fever had appeared and the
cattle on the Floyd county dairy were in
quarantine DR.. J. N. Hurry. secretary of
the board, notified the five members of the
sanitary commission and State Veterinarian
DR.. Balser, of New Castle, to proceed to
Floyd county at once to investigate the
case. Under the law they are required to
diagnose cases and where infectious dis
ease is found to kill the animals. An in
voice is made and the farmer losing cattle
is reimbursed. Although it becomes neces-
sary to kill the herd on the Fawcett farm,
it is feared that the disease may have
spread to other farms and a wholesale de-
StructiOn of cattle may be necessary in the
southern part of the State, which event the
board may get into a war with agricultur-
lists
Governor Mount is given credit for the
present law, which provides that such dread
disease may be stamped out by killing the
animals affected. While 1T has proved valu-
able in saving many fine herds of cattle and
sheep, the law is now too cumbersome, has
too much red tape about it and steps will
be taken to have it amended For instance
a horse was found suffering with CHAMBERS
in county near here recently. The local
health officer bound the animals head in
cloths and led him off into the woods where
other animals would not come in contact
with hun. After establishing the quarantine
he notified DIR. Hurry, who notified the five
commissioners. They went to Greencastle,
but after arriving found that DR.. Balser was
in Chicago and it was four days before he
finally arrived and the column marched over
to the woods in solemn def1le and proceeded
to hold an inquest on the animal, that had
meantime suffered for food and water. The
animal was adjudged to be afflicted with
CHAMBERS and was killed and burned on
funeral pyre consisting of a rick of cord
wood stacked near by. His owner was al
lowed $23 for the loss of the animal The
State bears the expenses of the commits
sioners while attending to such cases. Dr.
Hurtys idea is that the local health officer
should be empowered to kill animals af-
fiicted with unmistakable infectious dis
eases, as under the present law establishing
a quarantine and requiring an inquest by
the commissioners and veterinarian too
much time elapses between the discovery
of the disease and the time when the suf-
fering creatures are put to death and
burned. Meantime the disease no matter
how strong the quarantine, has had a.
chance to spread. BY lodging greater power
in local health officers there would be
less danger of a disease getting in a large
district and it would be more easily and
rapidly stamped out.