The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-12-03
Saws It's Swamp Fever.


Norfolk, Neb., Dec. Editor News
In last nights issue of The News, un.
der a special to The News from Ne
ligh, | read an account of new dis
ease in horses" ! do not think there
is any such thing as a new disease of
horses. 1t may be strange or rare
disease to one not acquainted with it,
but all diseases, especially of germ
origin" have, and must have, existed
prior to the outbreak in question.
| can not say positively that the
trouble in Antelope county is the same
as has existed for years past all up
along the Elkhorn valley, but from
the meager description given of the
disease in Antelope county in your
paper, | am very much inclined to
think it is the so-called swamp fever,
also known as bottom disease" ma
larial fever and infections of equine
anaemia. | have myself investigated
the outbreak in the western part of
Pierce county, where one man lost
two head, and this loss was from the
above mentioned disease. At first it
was thought the trouble was confined
to the low pasture and hay land, hence
the name swamp fever or bottom dis
ease, and most generally it is found to
exist on such pastures or hay cut from
wet meadows.
Still it has seemed to break out on
the higher land at times, also, but even
then there may be water holes or wet,
stagnant places in such higher pas
lures.
The disease has existed in Nebraska
for several years past; also in many
other of the western states, as Mime
sofa, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, Texas
and Canada. Bulletins have been is.
sued by our own state experiment sta,
ton, also by the stations in Minnesota
Kansas, Texas and Nevada, besides by
the United States department of agri,
culture, which described the trouble
and gave directions for its prevention
and treatment. These bulletins may
be had for the asking
Treatment is not satisfactory, as a
rule, though if the case is found early
! JltIe Is a tlldUtt W save lnt dulllldl
but if the disease has progressed very
| far before discovered nothing much
can be done. 1t has also been the yer
diet of many owners that recovered
! horse is never much good afterward
The disease is not considered to be
contagious, that is, transmfssble from
sick to a healthy horse direct, as
, experiments have been made by plac
ing healthy horses with sick ones, anC
failure to infect the healthy horses
/ followed
The germ, if such exists, is exceed
ingly small and belongs to the grouI
of ultra-microscopic organisms, beinl
so small it will pass through a perfec
porcelain filter, and then produce the
disease if injected under the skin O
another horse.
How the disease spreads from one
animal to another is unknown, bu
presumably by grazing over pastures
infected by the excretions of diseased
animals, or consuming hay cut from
such pastures, the germ seeming t
again become virulent after coming il
contact with the ground, especially i
the weather is wet.
One of the first symptoms noticed
may be that the animal tires easily
begins to lose flesh, although on goot
feed and with good appetite. AS tn,
disease advances the temperature ma,
be sub-normal, then for awhile abov
normal, and as a rule again drop
below normal before death.
After time the mucus membrane
of eye, nose, mouth, etc, will become
anaemic or bloodless, assuming dirt,
white color and toward the end pa
techiac or dark red spots will show OF
membranes of eye and nose, etc.
The animal may improve for time
but complications generally set in an,
death results.
Change of hay, good soft food, bra
boiled oats hay in small quantities
plenty of fresh water, keep bowel
empty, as the germs seems to resid
there, and bowels should be PRACTICAL
empty to give intestinal antiseptics
chance to work. Give from one tea
spoonful to one tablespoonful OF CT,