Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-01-25
SIX HORSES DEAD.
And Others Down With PtOmaine
Poisoning.

DIR. S. NJ. Gilliand of the Veterinary
School of the University of Penn syl-
vania and assistant to DIR. Ravenal.
State Pathologist of Pennsylvania, WIS.,
tied the farm of Francis Henry Purnell
at Ironshire. this county, Monday, and
made thorough examination of the
premises and food, which has been Civ
en- to the stock there, with view to
locating the cause of the disease which
has been so fatal to Mr.. Purnell's horses
during the past week He also made a
post mortem examination of two of the
horses and says that the disease is I'M
doubtedly the So-cdiled cerebro spinal
meningitis, which is not a meningitis
at all. as there is no inflammation of the
menges, but that better name for il is
forage poisoning or putrid sore throat.
which is really a ptomaine poisoning
from partially decayed vegetation, or
vegetation that has gone through pro-
cess of fermentation. No one has ever
succeeded in separating the poisonous
principle from the food, but that he had
induced the disease by feeding certain
food TO animals at the hospital 1t is
not contagious. and he had not been able
to induce the disease in we'll animals
even when he transfused blood To- them
from animals that were sick with the
disease. After making the post mortem
examination and treating the sick ami
mails, DR.. Gilliand made thorough ex-
animation of the stables, water supply
and food and advised Mr.. Purnell that
the sanitary condition was excellent
and that he considered it useless eX-
pense to even disinfect it, and ordered
the horses to Immediately be put
over in the stables where they had been
standing. The water supply which
comes from deep driven well, he pro-
nounced first class. He made minute
examination of the hay. corn and fodder
and pronounced them all first class. The
corn. which the Maryland State Yeti
marian is reported in Tuesdays SIM to
have declared damaged, DIR. Gill;and
said was wholesome and good and di-
rected that those of the horses that were
well enough to eat corn be fed partial
ration of it with their bran. The assist
ant State Veterinarian arrived in Berlin
at ~ 20 p. III. Wednesday of last week,
drove five miles to Mr.. Purnell's farm,
refused TO make post mortem exami-
nation, and insisted on leaving Berlin
at 2.33 the same afternoon, where he
had to drive the five miles again. He
recommended no treatment, said he
considered the outbreak over and per.
lhaps would have been able TO be of
some assistance if il had been CHAMBERS
as he feared when he received Mr.. Pur-
nell's telegram. In examining the corn
he selected only one ear as being dam
aged, which he said was on account of
mold, etc. on it. but it was pointed out
To him that the whitish looking sub
stance on the ear had come from being
eaten by worm in one small place
while still in the shuck
DIR. \. w. Smith, veterinarian of
Snow Hill. spent several days at Mr..
Purnell's farm during the present out
break there and fed his own horses on
the same corn that has been in use there
for the last five months, and his horses
are in perfect health.
DIR Gilliand said that while the trouble
was undoubtedly in his opinion pto-
maine poisoning from food, yet that the
corn and forage there were first class,
and was inclined to suspect certain fod-
der that had been brought from a ten
ant farm because it had only been fed
during the last three weeks. but in ap
pearance, and as far as he could ascer-
tain, that also was all right.
Since last week three horses have
died and five have taken the disease
Some of these last We're very i'll when
DIR. Gilliand arrived but none have died
since his treatment was adopted His
treatment twas what DIR. Aiuenhead,
of Easton, had recommended and con-
sists of thoroughly cleansing out the
stomach of the horse and administering
large doses of strychnine III quantities
depending on the condition of the pa
tient. The most pronounced symptom
being paralysis of the throat he rec
ommends administering the strychnine
hyperdermically. as anything given
through the mouth is apt to partly get
i'll the windpipe and induce traumatic
pneumonia, which is frequent cause
of death i'll these cases even before the
disease has run its course.
The day before DIR. Gilliand was sum-
moned TO Mr.. Purnells farm he had a
post mortem exam ination at the hospi-
tai OH il horse which was one of sixteen
that had died out of one stable i'll Phil
adelphia from this same disease.
AfEtNA 9X