Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1909-04-29

els in the heart, kidneys, liver, spleen
and Emphatic glands, with profound
changes in the bone-marrow On au-
tOpsy, one finds in addition to these de-
generations considerable dropsy, and
extensive hemorrhages in the heart,
lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys, Emphatic
glands, stomach, intestines, muscular
tissues, and beneath the skin and the
smooth membranes lining the large
body cavities. The muscles and organs
appear pale and bloodless, and the mus
cles greatly shrunken in size.
The cause is obscure. The disease
has all the characteristics. of specific
disease. In addition to- that we have
produced it experimentally in horses by
incubation of blood or blood serum of
patients. In one case we injected 10
cubic centimeters (about 81 teaspoon
fulls) of blood serum from sick horse
under the skin of healthy horse This
animal was inoculated in May 1908:
She showed symptoms of the disease all
summer and fall. Several times we ex-
pected her death but she rallied and
once or twice apparently recovered.
Finally about Feb. I, '09, she had an
other acute attack, showed all the typi
Cal symptoms of the disease and died
Feb. 10. The course of the disease in
this animal and the post norton find
ings left nothing to be desired from the
experimental point of view. 1t was
absolutely atypical case, 'experimentally
produced. Another animal, inoculated
with blood from patient, had an acute
attack few weeks afterward, but
rallied. He was accidentally killed
some time later. On autopsy we were
convinced that he had had the disease
but had partially recovered. We have
two other experiments under way, quite
similar. One of these horses is now
sick, the other is not yet affected, but
has only been inoculated few weeks.
These experiments leave little doubt of
the infectious character of tho disease.
The virus, however is not bacterial and
Is not demonstrate by the ordinary
fact that So much time has been used in
this Investigation to demonstrate the in
Righteousness of the disease and that
much more is necessary before we have
the absolute evidence required. While
undoubtedly. infectious, the disease is
not contagious rs that term is generally
understood. That is. horses do not con-
tract it by the contact of ordinary life
on the same ranch as is the case with
most of the infectious group of diseases
How it spread in nature is yet to be de-
termined and will require extended OBJ
servation and experiment.
OF course our ultimate object III this
study is to derive means to pursue or
cure the disease That can only be
sought for intellinently when we I'm.
derstand thoroughly the nature of the
disease, the tissue changes that occur,
the cause and its life history, and
the natural channels of infection. An
inquiry of chat sort requires time and
infinite patience, endless labor and much
expense. 1t is our intention to continue
this work devoting practically all our
time and resources to it until the prob.
lens it has raised are solved, regardless
OF how long a time may be required.
Both the economic Importance and the
interest of the disease warrant
even an extended research.
There is II disease similar to this one,
perhaps identical with it. in Wyoming,
Continued Oh Page 81 o..