The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-07-12
Epidemic of Charlton During Past
Two Weeks Has Inflicted
Loss of Half Million.
FARMERS ARE PANIC STRICKEN.
Cattle Rushed to Market Regard
less of Prices Pronounced
Sixth Plague of Egypt
Humans Attacked.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
Jackson, Miss. July 1i.-Neonservative es-
innate of the loss of live stock In the Mis-
sissippi delta during the past two weeks
from the epidemic of Charlton places the
sum at 100000. and thus far all Efforts to
suppress the disease have proven OF no
avail.
Cattle are dying by the hundreds each
day in the counties OF Bolivar. Washington,
Sunfower. Sharkey and Coahoma, and the
contagion now threatens to spread through
out the entire delta country. with grave
danger of general Infection all over the
State unless prompt remedial measures
are at once taken. which at present seems
Health Is unable to give any assistance
whatever on account Of the fact that the
legislative appropriation is available only
Fifteen Thousand Killed.
In Bolivar County alone 1900 head Of
live stock have been killed by the epidemic
during the past two weeks, and the PLAN
tiers and small farmers are panic-Stricken.
less Of price offered. and only day or so
since farmer at Rosedale sold fifteen head
Of fine Jersey cows. worth $50 each. for
% each, while another farmer sold ten head
new owners were mourning the loss Of
their possessions.
Veterinary surgeons have been summoned
from all parts of the South to assist in
stamping out the disease. but thus far
their efforts have been almost futile, ow-
ing to the fact that the Pasteur anti-an-
thrax virus requires sixteen days to get in
Its effects, and in the meantime many Of
the animals vaccinated become infected
and death speedily follows:
More viru1ent Than Ever Before.
The form Of the disease this year is more
virulent than ever before, and ordinary pre-
cautionary measures have little effect. The
animals are first taken with a high fever,
quickly followed by swelling of the
Emphatic glands and eruptions on all parts
OF the body. somewhat resembling bur onic
plague in this latter respect. The disease is
SO contagious that an animal may become
infected by eating the grass from a spot
where MIael, an animal had died during the year
cattle have taken the disease from fodder
grown over a spot where a Charlton corpse
many parts of the delta the health officers
are compelling the owners of live stock to
burn all corpses this being regarded as a
foci.
State OmcinIs Act.
. Governor LOngino received notice yester-
day that seventy-five head of fine mules on
one OF the State convict farms In Sunf1ower
County had died of the disease. and Cap
tain John. D. McInnis. chairman of the
Prison Board of Control. has been sent to
the scene with authority to remove all ami
fected area.
Tennessee has established rigid quar-
antine against Mississippi live stock. and
many counties are preparing to quarantine
against each other. In the stricken district
planters have been almost bankrupted by
the epidemic, and 1t Is feared that tho
gathering Of the cotton crop win be serious
1y crippled.
Human Beings Attacked.
Although the disease thus far has been
confined principally to animals. human be-
ings are not free from infection. and in
quite number of instances persons, who
have been working with the sick stock. have
been stricken with the disease. Two ne
grees died from Charlton In Bolivar County
during the early part of the week: several
others are sick with the disease. and two
white persons are under treatment.
Was the Sixth Plague Of Egypt.
Charlton Is better known to the medical
profession under the name OF anthrax, and
Ia one OF the Oldest diseases known to ami
mails, and biblical students say that tfS
present form Is the same as that OF the
sixth plague which was visited on the chill
dren OF Israel in Egypt. and which is ex-
tensively mentioned in the thirteenth chap
ter Of the book of Leviticus. Moses calling
1t by the appellation, 1.-THE plague" 4
The Pasteur form OF treatment requires
an incubation with the weak HlIus. after
which the animal Is kept closely housed un-
til the twelfth day, and second and
stronger injection given. II the animal es-@
capes infection for four days after this
second treatment. 1t q regarded as immune.
Although the Charlton corpse decomposeS
very rapidly, In many parts Of the delta,
especially in Bolivar County, where hardly
an animal has escaped its ravages. tho
sitting to an extreme degree and 1t Is
erayeIy feared that much sickness among
the population viii follow later In the sum-