Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-09-04
Texas Fever.

The frequent inquiries received in regard to
Texas fever make IT necessary to review in
brief way the essential features of the disease
as well as the general plan that may be adopt
ted by any one 20 prevent the disease or to
stop Il II II has already appeared.
There are a few people who doubt the tick
theory of Texas fever For the benefit Of the
few II may be said that there is no disease
Of either man or animals more thoroughly
worked out better understood than Texas
fever of cattle. The Bureau of Animal Industry
began working on this question In 1889 and the
results Of a great many experiments proved
that the tick carried the disease 10 susceptible
animals Since this time every experiment sta
ton where the question was of any importance
has done work along similar lines and always
with the same results-that the tick is the
means Of transmitting the disease. ,
No one ever saw an outbreak of Texas fever
without the presence of ticks. The old theories
IN regard to Texas fever nave peen completely
disproven. The idea that southern cattle with
sore feet that saliva from these cattle was
the means Of spreading the disease has been
entirely dsnroven. At one time some claimed
that bacteria were the cause Of the disease but
all Of these theories have been disproven by
experimenting with the tick The fever can be
given TO susceptible cattle by placing young
ticks them or the disease can be transmit
ted by inoculating cattle with blood from
fected with the disease the infection remains
I'm the blood for indefinite length OF time,
probably Turing the life Of the animal.
While the tick Is the carrier OF the disease
the fever is caused by small organism that is
introduced into the animal by the tick. This
small organism which is the actual cause OF
the disease processes in the animal, lives In
and DESTROYS the blood corpuscles This action
on the blood is the cause Of the extreme weak
ness OF the sick animal we'll as the noticea-
BILE changes seen in the post mortem eXamina-
ton Of Texas fever cases. The disease affects
the blood more than any other part OF the
body.
Recently some ticks that had been secured
from cattle that had the fever were brought
10 the veterinary laboratory. These ticks were
placed in the laboratory and began laying eggs
in two days and in twenty days after the first
eggs were laid Young ticks We're Matching out.
These young ticks Matched in the laboratory are
capable Of giving Texas Fever to cattle that
are not accustomed to ticks. such an expert
ment has been made so often that thore IS no
question as 70 what the results will be.
There have been many inquiries in regard TO
Texas fever from the Kiowa and Comanche
country since its settlement Many cattle
were taken from western Oklahoma and other
localities where there was no infection and
were brought in contact with Infection In the
new country This has resulted in a great
many cases OF fever. A number have sent
ticks TO the Experiment Station at saltwater
oklahoma. TO have them identified
The SYMPTOMS of Texas fever are usually
Characteristic but other conditions may give
similar symntoms When the disease aUuears
among natIred cattle there Will always be
some loss post norton examination will
show in a general way the following condi-
tions: The liver is usually enlarged soft and
mottled in appearance the gall bladder is al