The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-03-26
TEXAS EAY FEVER.

on more than one occasion.
TEXAS EAY FEVER.
Breeders in this State Lose Thous-
ands Annually By 1t.
Since the stock law went into effect,
and ticks have disappeared in many
parts Of the State, Texas feverhas be-
come gu te a common disease. It is
estimated that the breeders Of the
State are now losing annually more
than $4,000 from this disease, and it
has been shown to be so important
that the South Carolina experiment
station has undertaken the work of
combating it's ravages by a process OF
inocculation (vaccination.)
In the fall of 1900 twelve calves
were bought by the veterinary divi-
sion, of which DR.. G. E. Nesom is
chief and DR.. Shealey assistant. All
Of them were subject to the disease, as
they had never carried ticks. They
were innoculated with blood from d
COW that was immune, and in few
days they developed light case OF the
disease from which they soon recover
ed. During the summer OF 1891 they
were kept in a tick-infested pasture
and none Of them contracted the fatal
form Of the disease,
But more important work is now be-
ing done in the same way on Northern
cattle Every one who has purchased
cattle from the North and exposed
them to the Southern cattle tick knows
that most Of them die the first year OF
'acclimation fever" another name
for Texas fever.
Sixteen head Of beef cattle were
brought down from Indianapolis in
November, 1901, and have been in
noculated. They are doing well so
far and when the work is finished in
the spring they will be tested in tick
infested pastures. 1t is hoped they
will prove immune. II this method
proves entirely successful it will es-
tablish the fact that a great obstacle
in the way Of introducing better cat
tie into this State has been removed.
In this connection DR.. G. E. Nesom
has sent out the following circular let
ter to farmers and cattle raiSerS in
South Carolina:
This circular letter is sent you in
the hope that you will assist the vete-
rinarian Of the experiment station in
securing some information regarding
the cattle disease knnwn as Texas
fever.
During the past few years the dis
ease has been prevalent in many Sec
tions of the State, but since the pas
sage Of the present stock law it has
become very common, especially in
the upcountry and in the pastures
and pens Of stock buyers and feeders.
Texas fever is known by number
of names, but the most important of
these are splenic fever, splenetic fever,
acclimation fever, Southern cattle
fever, tick fever, red water, bloody
murrain. bloody urine, distemper,
mountain distemper and many local
names.
The symptoms are readily recog-
nizAd by any one who has seen cattle
suffering from this fever. At first the
animals become stupid and leave the
herd for some secluded and shady part
of the pasture. They appear listless
and droop, as if all energy had for
saken them, the ears drop, the nose
is more or less dry, rumination Chew
| ing cud) suspended, the urine light to
dark red in color, and constipation
marked, only small quantities OF very
dark, dry dung being yoided. They
are highly fevered, the temperature
running from'103 to 107 degrees F. In
milk COWS the flow Of milk is almost
suspended. All of the symptoms in
crease in severity until the animal be-
comes almost or quite unconscious,
walks round in circle, grOanS and
seems to suffer zeal pain. Then con-
yulsions set in, the animal falls, un-
conscious and snoring in the intervals
between convulsions, until death en-
sues. Calves rarely develop the severe
symptoms or die from the disease, but
in cattle over year old the death
rate is possibly so to 90 per cent. in
creasing as the age increases.
Post mortem examination OF the
carcass shows the flesh to be almost
bloodless and pale in color, the spleen
(melt) black and easily torn, the blad-
der filled with bloody urine, the liver
and intestines yellowish and the gall
bladder filed with bile.
In all cases an examination Of the
skin about the thighs, fanks, neck and
other parts Of the body reveals the
presence of ticks, which always so
with Texas fever. The cause OF the
disease is small animal organism
(protozoan,) which seems at all exist
in the body of the times to tick. When
the tick inserts it's bill through the
hide these little germs gain access to
the blood of the cow and there develop,
producing case of Texas fever In ten
to twenty days. Death results from
the destruction Of the red blood cells,
the refuse going to the spleen and the
coloring matter to the bladder.
Cattle that have had ticks on them
when they were calves are immune to
the disease, and will not have 1t again.
Cattle that have not had ticks on
them until q year old, will develop
the disease as soon as they get the