Middletown transcript., 1912-01-13
DISEASE AMONG HORSES
Forage Poisoning, or SO-caIIed
C---abrO-Spinal MeninQitis

Cc.cebrO-Spinal Meningitis
The i.:iowing statement is given out b.
Dr. J. R. Kuhns, Secretary OF the Stat,
Live Stock Sanitary Board, for the benefi
Of the public and stock owners:
This disease prevails among horses il
nearly all parts of the United States. Il
is most common in Maryland. Delaware
Virginia, North Carolina, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, New York, Kansas,
Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.
Certain localities are visited by it almost
every year. This condition consists in a
poisoning and depression of the nervous
system from eating or drinking food or
water containing poison, generated by
mould or bacteria. 1t has been shown to
be due to eating damaged ensilage, corn,
brewers grazing, oats, hay, etc., or to
drinking stagnant pond water, or water
from a we'll contaminated by surface
drainage! Horses or cattle at pasture may
contract disease when growth of grass is
so profuse that it mats together and the
part dies and ferments, or becomes mould.
About year ago, Mr.. Theodore Carrow,
of White Hall Neck, lost some milk COWS
by pasturing on this kind of grass, and no
doubt would have lost the majority of
his herd had not suspected the cause
and changed the herd to other pasture.
A disease similar in many respects,
which is very prevalent in Virginia
along the Eastern border, is
known by the name of "blind
staggers," and it is also known here in
Delaware and breaks out along the
marshes in the fall of the year. This
attribute to eating mould on grass, cob
webs and stiff mosquitoes that become so
from the cool nights and cannot get away,
and the horses eat them with the grass
while pasturing, or they are thrown to
them in the hay that is usually thrown
down from the NOW the evening before
and possibly watered for the next feed.
In Virginia this so-called "blind
is attributed to worm eaten
,orn. Horses Of all ages and mules are
Iubisct to this disease; cattle can also take |
t although there is not nearly so much |
laDger to give them such feed.
Symptoms
The symptoms which typify sporadic |
'r epidemic cerebro-spinal meningitis in
nan are not witnessed among horses,
lamely, excessive pain, high fever and |
arly muscular ridigity. In the recog.
lition of tie severity of the attack we
aay divide the symptoms into three
rades. In the most rapidly fatal attacks
be animal may first indicate it by weak,
taggering gait, partial or total inability
D swallow solids or liquids, impairment
t eyesight; twitching of the muscles and
light cramps may be observed. As a
ule, the temperature is not elevated, it is
Ometimes below normal. This is soon
ollowed by paralysis of the whole body,
" StahuJ OoliIluIu III WulCu Tic
nimal sometimes goes through a series OF
1tomatic movements as if trotting or
mining. The delirium may become very
iolent and the animal in his unconscious
ess may bruise his head, in his struggles,
cry seriously, but usually a deep coma
'nders him quiet until he expires.
cath in these cases usually takes place
from four to twentyfour hours from
le time the first symptoms become
anifest. The pulse is variable during
le progress OF the disease and may be
most imperceptable at times, and then
Jain very rapid and regular; the respira.
ons are quick and catching generally.
The next form in which this disease
ay develop first becomes manifest by a
ticulty in swallowing, and a weakness
hich may be first noticed in strength OF t
70 tail; the animal will be unable to
itch it or to offer resistance when We (
md it up over the Group. The pnlse is
ten little slower than normal. There Z,
no evidence of pain, the breathing is
'rmsl and the temperature little less >,
an normal; the bowels may by some.
nat constipated. These symptoms may
main unchanged for two or three days u
d then gradual improvement takes az
ace, or the power to swallow may be-
me entirely lost and the weakness and SO
certainty in gait more and more per- &C
ptible. The sleepiness or coma may
pear; the pulse become depressed, slow in
d weak; the breathing hard and jerky dr
d delirium develop with an inability to
nd and some rigidity OF the spinal 81
lscles or partial cramp of the neck and do
Hs. In such cases death may occur in
m six to ten days from the commence 80
mt OF the attack.
q many cases there is no evidence of
n, spasm or fever at any time during af'
progress of the disease, and finally
found coma develops and death an
ows-painless and without struggle. va
much for the symptoms, which l tht
nk every one can understand plainly.
Treatment sey
light here is where the profession falls of
7n, for l think it is useless to treat oh,
IS unless you can get to them before :
= are paralyzed. So 1 will again
n the public to either refrain from 20
ling mouldy corn and fodder, or to , ~"
t it with the salt solution. Salt is an '@'
septic and safe one for anyone to
1t will make a horse drink more T
or and 1 think this theory ought to ?
sal to the people, because a horse forc
inates all the poison from his system ;
ugh the kidneys. :