The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-02-07

Gle taken from the News and Observer Of
February 2nd:
There is now curious epidemic among
the mules on the Caledonia State farm.
and son2e - or l5 of the finest animals
on the place have died from il. The dis
ease attacks the animal suddenly and in
three or four hours death results. So far
no one has been found who knows any
thing Of the disease and all efforts to
treat il have failed. The veterinarian
from the a. and NJ College went down TO
the farm to render whatever assista
he could. but was 9nable to either re-
lieve the suffering animals or check the
spread Of the disease.
Through the instrumentality of Mr. s,
L. Patterson, Commissioner of Agricul-
ture / was called to the State farms near
Tillery n. c.. TO investigate the cause of
and TO stem. if possible, the further spread
of a very fatal disease among the mules
there Upon my arrival at Caledonia on
Saturday January II at y. m. ! was in
formed that eight dead mules had already
oeen hauled to the field. ! found on hand
one dead young mule and two very sick
ones of which one died during the night
and the other about noon on Sunday, maxi
ing the number of dead eleven and giving
me three subjects for autopses that day
a pleasant Sabbaths pastime. From the
description Of the symptoms Of the sick
and from what I still had seen of those
not yet dead I diagnosed the cases as be-
ing affected with what older writer's used
10 describe as cerebro- spinal meningitis
but what is now considered TO be pto-
main poisoning caused by eating spoiled
forage
II the members Of the committee from
the Legislature who went on an inspec-
lion trip to the state farms, shortly after
had left there. viii take the trouble 10
look up Special Report on Diseases Of
the Horse" Ga book issued by the Z. S. De-
parunent of Agriculture in 1880 on pages
IL TO 1l9 they will find a full description
Of the trouble we had at Caledonia. And
if Mr.. Arendel had been with me to see
the conditions prevailing in the mule
yards there, had observed the symptoms
CT the diseased animals, and then, unpre-
judiced and with a clear mind, had read
the pages OF the book above, referred TO-,
he could not but admit that we had a
strkingly similar IL not an identical dis
case TO that described in the government $
report and that we certainly had condi-
tions at Caledonia to produce that disease.
Ie would also have to admit that though
himself ignorant in the premises there are
still a few people even in North Carolina
who know something about the disease
that was killing the mules a Caledonia.
teel quite confident that in due time, the
authority from Washington win bear me
out in my opinion about the trouble at
the State farms Notwithstanding the fact
that shortly after my arrival the condi-
rions which in my estimation caused the
trouble were removed as nearly as possi-
BILE; an entire removal of the cause being
impossiblc TO accomplish with people who,
either unable or unwilling to grasp new
ideas would not act upon suggestions or
requests.
ALLOW me to quote here from my re
port to Capt w r. Day in ord-r to show
exactly what stand ! have taken concern
ing the disease al Caledonia
Prom the circumstances, as described
above surrounding the outbreak OF this
fatal disease among the mules, I draw the
conclusion that the animals died from
eating peanut vines which had fermented
and were in a state Of decomposition, and
in that state acted as poison in their
system"
W e WE1lIE.