Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-09-16
HORSE DISEASE IS EXPLAINED
Bureau Of Animal Industry Gives
Some Valuable Suggestions.
POISONOUS FORAGE IS CAUSE
First Principle Given for the Treat
ment of Meningitis Lies I'm Conn
pIete Change of Feed
and Water.

DIR. d. s. Palmer of Holdrege, concern
ing whose treatment OF the meningitis In
the horse a dispatch was published In
The Bee last week, writes that he Is
overwhelmed with letters Of inquiry,
which he has not time to answer, and
asks The Bee to publish this as his treat
rfisnf; 'i''-' i
"LobeIia was formerly used for treat
ment eof syphilis before mercury came
into common use Many physicians In
the last year or so are using the hypo-
dermic lobelia in diphtheria and tetanus
instead Of the serums, as 1t has proven
to be vegetable antitoxin.
The treatment (for the horse menin-
gitls) is to inject hypodermically an
ounce Of SLoyd's hypodernlic lobelia every
four hours, using a gallon of salt water
in the bowels every two hours. The hypo-
dermic lobella is the same strength as
the fluid extract The fluid extract has
been used with the same results, but
there is more danger OF forming an
abscess at the point Of injections"
Bulletin from Washington.
During the last five months numerous
reports have been received by the bureau
of animal industry at washington rela-
tive to the existence of forage poisoning
in various sections OF the United States,
particularly in Louisiana, West Virginia,
Kansas and Nebraska. II has usually oc-
CURED when a hot, dry period has been
followed by rains or during wet seasons.
especially those which are characterized
by frequent rains alternating with hot
sunshine producing q damp, sultry at
mosphere. Such conditions are most ia
vorable to the production OF molds, and
all outbreaks that have been Investigated
by the bureau have been traced to the
eating Of unsound or moldy forage or
feed, or to the drinking of water from
wells or pools containing surface water
drained through decomposed or moldy
vegetation. The disease has been shown
to be also due to eating damaged ensilage.
hay corn. brewers grains, oats, etc.
Horses and mules at pasture may con-
tract the disease when the growth of
grass is so profuse that II mats together
and the lower part dies and ferments or
becomes moldy. No specific organism or
virus has yet been found which can be
considered as the cause of this disease.
symptoms of the Disease.
The so-called cerebro spinal meningitis
Of horses being an entirely different dis
ease from that which occurs in man, the
symptoms as well as the cause are dis
tinctly different In the most rapid fatal
attacks death takes place in from five to
forty-eight hours. Such cases begin with
violent trembling or stupor and extreme
weakness, or with staggering gait, par
tial or total inability to swallow, impair
ment Of eyesight. followed by partial or
complete paralysis. inability to stand,
with marked delirium. during which the
animal lying flat on it's side becomes
violent and knocks and bruises It's head,
In the second form of the disease the
same line Of symptoms may be noticed in
a milder degree. Difficulty in swallowing,
slowness in chewing the food and inability
to switch the tall are observed Breath
Ing becomes heavy and noisy, and delir-
i,m may develop with stiffening of the
spinal muscles or partial cramp Of the
neck and jaws. Death occurs In from six
to ten days. In the last or mildest form
the lack of voluntary control of the limbs
becomes but slightly marked, the power
Of swallowing is never entirely lost, and
the animal has no fever, pain or uncon-
scious movements. In those cases which
get well the animal generally begins to
improve about the fourth day and goes
on to recovery. One attack does not pro-
tect against second attack. as horses
and mules have been known to have the
disease two or three times.
Prevention amt ireatment.
The first principle in the treatment of
Continued on Second Page)