Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1909-04-30
rhs South Fork horse pi,,.se

DIR. w. b. Mack, Professor of Vet
Urinary Science and Blcteriology at the
University of Nevada came in yester.
day from South Fork and left for
Reno on No. . last night: He made
the following statement in regard to the
disease among horses that has caused
such severn losses in South Fork and
Mound Valleys during the past three
years:
When L was called IT, Mound Valley
i'll 1907 l found there a5lisease affecting
the horses that was entirely new to me.
L made no attempt to diagnose it and
felt sure that no textbook on veterinary
medicine described it, careful research
has since confirmed that opinion. l have
spent practically my entire time and
the of my department for one
year and II half in Il study Of the disease
and have accomplished considerable,
although there is u vast amount to be
lone before we can successfully combat
or control it. ,-i.,.
The disease first assumed alarming
proportions in the ummer of 1906, nj.
though it undoubtedly existed there he.
fore that time, and it may have been
there for Il long time bat in II less
virulent form. 1t abatcd. during the
winter of 1867. to. rcappcar with equal
virulencc i'll the summer Of 1907. A
conservative statement places the horses
ut 80 head. Last year there were but
Il few cases there and u few there now;
and we have no reason to expect that it
will disappear entirely. 1t may abate
for Il year or two or even longer but il
is likely to assume II more ~virulent form
Mt any time. ..5"
y study of the cases that have
occurred naturally and of cases expert.
mentally produced has given us Il fair
idea Of the. nature of the malady. 1t
occurs in three forms, acutc. sub.acutc
and chronic. The acute form runs its
course in a few days. 1t is character,
lied by detection high fever, labOred
respiration. violent heart action, follow.
cd by great weakness and prostration.
The patient loses flesh rapidly. The
mucous membranes in the month, nos.
trils and eyes may he. a deep brick-rcd,
with marked yellowish diScoloration.
There may b. .dropsical swellings he.
meath the chest and abdomen. In thi.
form death usually results in : to II
days. .. a
The sub acute form may hn ushcred
III by symptoms resembling the acute OF
1t may have Il more insidioiIS onset. II
runs 1t course i'll from two weeks t.
three or four months. and usually ends
in death.
The temperature runs high during the
periods of fever, followed by rcmiSsiOns
dnring which it falls to nearly normal
Sudden changes of / to & degrees OF
temperature may occur in either dircc
ton within Il few hours. The heart
beats violently and rapidly and there i,
almost invariably II reorganization Of
blood following each heart beat, observ,
able in the iugular vein. Respiration
becomes rapid and at time labored. IL
most cases there is -tlropictl enlarge
ment of the dependent portions of the
body, appearing, disappearing and re,
appearing at irregular intervals. The
visible mucus membranes gradually
lose their pink or red color. becoming
not only palcr hut yellowish. The
veins in the c~oniunctiva (insidc Of tn,
eyclids and white of the cycballs) arc
engOrgcd with blood. The appetite
may bc intcrfercd with during period,
of fever, but mt all these times the
animals eat ravonously and lose ilcsl
rapidly in spite of it. They bccoin,
very weak, in advanced stages swayinl
and staggering when they walk, drag
glng their hind feet instead of liftin.
them. The loins and. hind quarter
seem almost unable to support tn,
animals weight. The periods of re
currcnCe an variable: There seems to b,
no regularity III that respect. Sigh
wounds may refuse to heal. In boil
tho acute form and in the periods o
acute symptoms in the s~uh-acute type
one notes frequently blood or blood
stained watcry discharges from the nos,
or mouth. The fcccs are often bloc,
stained.
In the chronic form we find a gradna
loss of condition. The animal appear
unthrifty. He is hidc-bound. tires easily
and loses flesh and strength continual
in spite Of Il good or may bca rav0nou
appetite. One may findat times som
fever, sorne rcspirating and cardiac dis
turbanco. Tho visible mucus membrane
are pale and. ~ycllowish.. In short. tn
patient shows about the samp symptom
rs in the sub.acutc form only much les
pronounced The duration of, this typ
varies from three or four months To
year or Il year and half aud sometime
even longer. This type is hard to. dis
tingnisll from ancmic conditions arisinl
from other causes without, u bloc,
examination.
~ very fcw animals affected hav,
- $50 -aAA