The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-31
TROUBLE AMONG CATTLE
State Veterinary Surgeon Dr.. Vim. Folset-
Ter Makes Ills Report
FOR The BUREAU OF ANIMAL lNDusTR,
Conccrninr "a Fatal Disease AMONG
Cattle i'm Harris County
Near Houston.


past few weeks investigating fatal dis
ease among cattle, has prepared and sub.
naitted tho following report OF his investi-
gaiicn to the bureau OF animal industry
at Washington, d. c.:
on Friday, the Sth' of December, 1892,
was called TO Harris county, Texas. to eS-
anime Il herd OF iyear-old steers thal
were Il, some way diseased. about 100 haN-
irg died and another hundred or more
showing signs az being affected With the
same disease. The original number pur-
chased was about 2o0o, ranging IN age from
. 10 Ii months old, Some were bought
through New Orleans commission. some
came from near New iberia. others from,
Rayne and some in Mississippi and some
In Southeast Texas, They were all pur-
chased along about the first weeks IN
July. lS9a and all about the same time
They were placed in a gQ00-acre pasture,
divided into five pastures by wire fences,
NIL the pastures adjoining each other con
nected by gates. The pasture Is level
prairie. plenty OF grass known rs sage
grass; Il IA 4 coarse. rough grass and
densely covers the ground. The natural
0raibago Is very poor and not great de Al
has bgen done In he way of Artificial
drainage, so that when It rains great
land for days or TIL II IS absorbed or
evaporatod. The lind is black tena, Ious
soil that lnclines to hold water well; t
also contains all over 10 what In Texas Is
known as hog wa,luws--that Is every ten
feet or 50 4 sU1'l depression OF oar or
1.-Two feet iH diameter and six o. eight
riches deep With a CORRESPONDING c,eya-
ion, making a difference OF about a loot.
These bellows hl with water when II
rains aud retains water TIL il evaporates
or sinks IN the ground From those little
pools the stock drink constantly when
Erasirg around This ranch Is extra we'll
watered, nrtincally by a large artesian
vel from which pipes lead wafer into
different pastures, and also soma half
dozen wells with windmills attached to
IN m, These wells are So arranged that
he stock does in no cas- have IN travel
ever half mile In any Of the pastures 20
reach fresh water In unlimited quantities.
The water from these wells is In owe "
caso discharged into wooden troughe that
arc kept full at all times by ilolt va YES
and are regularly cleaned ont every wort
or two In spite Of this ths caiile viii
drink from the surface pools. Tho greatest
care has been given TO the health Of this
stock This ranch is managed b. an all
rNHnd stockman. lie Is wilc-awake
thorough going husiress man, has had OK
pfrience IN stock IN other of the Western
smtes besides Texas; has raisel graged,
led, bought. sold aud shipped cattlo Tor II
number OF years. and Is familiar With
inngc stock in health aud tho ordinary
diseases and troubles thar affect range
sipck This herd has had his personal
attention. shortly after purchasing thcm
and turning them In his paStur, thny were
nttacked by nm infections lnlllmmat1ry
disease of the Dyes, commonly cpllel pink
eye This gave them a setback and 10.
some time they aid not do VOL This was
Iuly, In August he lest some tWcn;y-
I'VE hoad with what he considered Charlton
Ter this hP noticed tina a number OF
them were looking badly and along in
crioeaF khc commenced 10 lo-e ons o.
G. #o0Glly III about tho 2Ath o. NoTemhcr
hen Dr. w s. kcuent. vet rinary sur
seop OF Houston W2s called in 20 make On
examination Of tie herd and decide the
aese c. he trouble Tho doctor hall
CTR rost mortems In two Of III, suh'ect
ne found The parasite dloma hcpatica.
rnmmouly called 1ukes In the 1thcr two
lhey were absent hui In all tour n found
maria hfonrhi an the hair lung wo N
SEINE Remedies We're tried hut with no mo-
tteahla benefit. The disease being re.ot-
nisad rs more al less OF an infectious
Character The STATE sanitary boa was
vailed m and was sert 10 make an in
litigation and rrPlrt TO them ] aeriyed
q Houston ON the morning OF pecembcr
rs, and IN company with pr knlgh, AM
the maraser, drove directly 10 The ranch.
We found about loo OF steer yearling Gait o
IN LOT large enough for their accom-
medallion, with plenty Of shelter sheds an
abundance of clear pure water supplied
I ON a we'll by windmill. ard The ia ks
iull OF good hay, cotton SEED meal an /
cotton seed hulls, Tia cattle mostly weYe
teedirg we'll, chewing their cubs. knit APP
peared 10 be very poor in condition, list
losS. aia not want TO movo, dry staring
coat haggared look AVID "a glossy, staring
appearance ahoni the eyes very little
cough but at long Intervals one would be
heard TO give short husky cough Three
had died through tho nigh and we killed
Two others that were so far gone rs 10
he unable TO stand when helped up. We
helped up somo sis or eight that were
unable 10 get up by themselves When
assisted on their feet they walked off an 1
some went to feeding The discharge
rom the bowels were, as rule OF n
hrownish color aud OF normal con.
slstency' but some two or three stowe a
tendency to loosencss of the loves s.,
only about three, so far as have OBJ
served, showed any tendency 10 reach a
msrrhoea. We held post morteips on To
i've head In four OF them there was mo q
or less disease OF the liver present. eau eli
by the fuke In olo ihere was no Sign OF
Any disease in the liver whatever Other
wise the post mortcms Of all ave nigh, hh
said 70 be identical, ana description o.
enc viii answer for all. On removing the
skin the ceilulor tissue all over the boly
- iilled with clear watery nrid, espe-
ti&ily tn the submaxillary space and on
the brisket. On opening the abdormlnaI
savity a quantity OF pale watery. slight
straw colored fluid Is. sees The
spleen is normal, the urine when present
IN tho bladder has normal app ,arance.
Kidneys normal, an entire absence of
anything bearing the slightest rescm-
piSnee 10 fat even In the sockets OF the
gcyss II seems 70 be absorbed or missing.
tie blood Is watery and hardly leaves a
Iasn on your hand the small bowels are
,lals and almost transparent with almost
nothing In them but a little mucus. the
g4rfwm sometimes contains little foeces.
The stomach contains more or less food
10 all appearance fairly well digested as
~ has progressed through the different
divisions and appears normal in the sew
erai compartments OF the stomach, On
opening the thoracic cavity and removing
tho heart and lungs the muscular fber OF
lthe heart u found to be pale In color.
soft and Gabby to the touch and on OPEN
linz Il more or less clots are present ani
m some cases wall organized yellow cio,s
ave md mostly In the left oracle ex.
~. y =, loff s...s,t rt,al