The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1909-06-25
TREATMENT OF
HORSE DISEASE
The Method to Follow in Event of
Your Horse Having TyphOsus
NOT NfCfSSARILYFAT
Symptoms in Early Stages Latent and Hid
den-Disease Akin TO Cerebro-Spinal-
Meningitis in the Human Race.
Fort Pierce, Fla, June %, 1909

fOrt fleTce, TIA, June 20, lJV0.
Editor TRIBUNE:
have been told that the disease pre-
valent among horses in the vicinity of
Fort Pierce has been diagnosed by COM
petent authority as cerebro-spinal men
nights, and | herewith enclose what |
have been able to find in a veterinary
book, which you might publish in your
next issue for the benefit of those con-
cerned. This article seems to fit the
cases pretty well, as they have come to
my knowledge. There are some parts
that are a little ambiguous to me -
whether the formula as given is to be
used five times in twentyfour hours.
or whether One-fifth at a time, making
the dose prescribed last for twenty-four
hours, ! can't quite understand, but
infer that five such doses are to be
given in twenty-fOur hours. 1t might
be well to ask some medical authority,
also whether the sixty drops of sui.
phuric acid is to be put in each cold
water drench, or the sixty drops mixed
in the several drenches, is not quite
clear, medical man could make that
clear, suppose. yours truly,
E. s. WILLIAMS.
TYPHosUs--A species of fever, con-
sequent upon changes that have taken
place in the blood of horses - a blood
disease resulting in nervous prostration,
known by various names, in New York
as cerebro-spinal meningitis, because it
is thought to be like when man is at
fected in the meninges or membranes
which envelope the brain and spinal
marrow, producing choking distemper,
putrid fever, paralysis of the pneumo-
gastric nerve, on account OF the in
ability of the horse to at least volun-
tarily swallow. The symptoms in early
stages are very latent or hidden. The
chief of them is in the pudding of the
food, as the holding it in the mouth and
refusing to swallow, also, by placing a
bucket of water within reach of a horse
so affected, he will place his mouth in
to and agitate it, going through the
process of swallowing, without con-
suming The inability to swallow con-
tinues for some days, when from loss
of sustenance and change in circulating
fluid, the horse lies or falls down ex-
hausted. While not being able to swal-
low voluntarily, they may do so when
drenched out of bottle, with head ele-
vated-this may be ascribed to gravi-
tation, and to relaxation of the paralyzed
muscles, which, though offering no as
sistance, interpose nothing. Those
cases that seem to live but fe" days,
die because the symptoms are not OBJ
served until weakness and consequent
inability to stand force themselves to
recognition. There are other symptoms
that are alike common to all diseases Of
an asthenic. or lower depressed type.
1t is disease wherein the "vis vitoe"
is extremely low, and it is consequently
very fatal - time not being allowed in
many instances, for the treatment to
supply through it and the Wis Tergo.
the elements of nutrition.
Treatment-ln disease of this kind,
where the nervous force is almost gone
the dffusibe and more fixed stimulants
with carminatives and tonics are rec
commended. They are embraced in
the following formula, to be given,
mixed in a bottle of cold water, five
times in twenty four hours. Powdered
carbonate of ammonia, three drachms.
powdered capsicum, two drachms;
powdered pimenta berries, four drachms
tincture of nuX vOmica, twenty drops;
mix Drench the horse with cold water
several times daily, adding sixty drops
of commercial sulphuric acid to assist
in sustaining the tagging powers OF
life. Corn meal may also be given in
the same way and for the same pur-
pose. Galvanism or electricity may be
employed over blistered surface
made along the pneumogastric nerve
on each side of the neck. Injections
endermically (under the skim with
strychnine may result in gaining time
for other measures to become effectual
as cure. The cause of this disease in
horses does not differ materially from
those that give rise to like diseases in
men, for on the shore opposite to Long
Island where the disease was very bad
in 1867, and at the very time horses
were affected with the disease, over
400 deaths were recorded in the human
family from an affection similar to
paralysis.
The prevention of this disease is
more easily accomplished then the cure.
Use dry, clean stables, also good feed,
in which drachm or two of sulphate
of iron, or five grains of arsenic should
be mixed once daily, (when such disease
. is prevalent in the vicinity for eight
or ten days at time.
tit is the opinion of DR.. VanLanding-
, ham that the full dose should be given
| FIVE times day. If commercial sui.
phuric acid is not used the quantity OF
pure sulphuric acid should only be about
one-third the amount stated. Ed