The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1912-07-12
STAGGERS ATTACK
FLORIDA STOCK
DREADED cEREBRo-sPINAL MEN.
NIGHTS ATTACKS HORSES
AND MULES.
HEALTH BOARD STATEMENT
Health Board Describes the Disease
and Prescribe Correct Treat
ment for It.

acknowledgements men
nights, otherwise known as staggers,
grass staggers, mad staggers, sleepy
staggers or forage poisoning, has de-
veloped among the horses at Cocoa,
Fort Pierce, Zellwood and Leesburg.
The state board of health has is,
sued the following statement in re-
gard to the disease, treating the three
different types, and also states what
may be done to relieve the afflicted
animals. The statement is as fol-
lows:
"Cerebro-spinal meningitis, stag
gers grass staggers," mad stag
gers" sleepy staggers," or forage
poisoning" are names given to dis
ease in horses and mules appearing as
an epcotic in nearly all parts of the
United States.
"lt( is believed to be due in all
cases. to feed and water which is con-
taminated, BY decomposing vegetable
water. 1t is, therefore, found in local
tiles where. stock have access to, or
are fed upon damaged feed and are
allowed to drink water from shallow
wells and ponds. The disease appears
to prevail after period of wet wealth
er and subsequent extreme heat.
There are three grades or types of
the disease.
"The first or severest grade is rap
idly fatal. After staggering around for
a while, blind and unable to swallow,
the animal goes down, becomes delir-
ious, going through the movements
of trotting or running while on its
side. Stupor then comes on and the
animal dies within a few hours from
the onset of the disease
"The second grade is first manifest
ed by slowness in chewing, partial
inability to swallow and weakness in
the tail The animal may, in two
or three days, recover, or the disease
may assume the severe symptoms of
the first type and die in week or
ten days.
THE third grade manifests itself by
milder symptoms. The control of the
limbs and tail is only slightly affect
ed. The power to swallow is not lost
and the animal shows Improvement
in four or five days, ultimately recoV-
ering.
"In some cases the spinal paralysis
is a most prominent symptom, while
in others it is loss of power to swal-
low that attracts most attention. Most
of the cases that live for a week,
neither showing sleepiness or coma,
recover. Animals may have the dis
ease more than once, as there is no
immunity established by first at
tack.
"When the animal cannot swallow
attempts at treatment mean wasted
time and effort. In cases where the
animal can swallow, that is, in the
second and third grades, give a purge
consisting of pill composed of aloes,
one ounce, calomel one drachm, nuX
vomica one drachm with a proper ex-
cipient. Do not repeat the pill. Give
also from four to six ounces of wills
key, or two to three ounces of alco-
hol in quart of milk or water, to
stimulate the heart, three times a
day.
IN order to protect other remain
in gstock, change the feed and water.
If the water can not be changed, boil
the water. If the surviving animals
can be moved to some other place
where the disease does not exist this
would be a proper thing to do. Such
other animals would be perfectly
harmless to other stock, as they can
not carry the disease"