Omaha daily bee., 1912-09-14
INSECT MAY CAUSE DISEASE
Some Doubt Whether Horses Die Of
Meningitis Germ.
EXPERTS MAKE INVESTIGATION
Government Veterinarians Enter
Into Work of Ferreting Out
Cause of Epidemic with
VigOr.
(From a Staff Correspondent)

LINCOLN, Sept 13.--(Special.) DIR. +,
T. Davidson of New York, DR.. w. f..
Jones of McCook, DR., William Thompson
of South Omaha, DR.. l. S. Campbell OF
Alliance and DR.. III. NJ. Bachelor or Ster-
ling, Colo, compose the corps of govern
ment veterinary experts who are investi-
eating the horse disease that is battling
the best veterinarians of the state. These
men are working under the able leader
ship Of DR.. Davidson, and some of them,
in company with him, were investigating
the disease yesterday afternoon and again
were at it early this morning.
Accompanied by Private Secretary
Fuller and Chief Clerk Fiegenbaum Of
the governors official family, DR.. David
son and DR.. Bostrom, state veterinarian,
Investigated some cases near Lincoln and
were able to find one horse which had
just died. They at once made a post
mortem examination and discovered that
there was a clot on the brain and that
the spine was affected. The affected por-
tions were brought to Lincoln and a very
Ngid examination will be made.
DR.. l. Vaness of Fargo, N. D., is ex-
pected to arrive today and will enter the
fight against the plague.
Insect May De Cause.
1t looks at the present as IL the trouble
was caused by some kind of an insect
which lives in the blades of grass and
other green stuff which has sprung up
as sort of second growth since the wet
weather began and it is thought that II
is found more especially in low pastures
or pastures and lots which are not prop
erly drained,
Ii this insect is the cause Of the dis
ease. 1t will be necessary to discover what
kind of an insect 1t Is and then work out
some plan for destroying 1t. e.
The plan at present Is to divide the
state into districts, putting some expert
veterinarian in charge of each district
and make systematic campaign of In
vestigation. This week Geneva will be
the headquarters of one district. York
another, Holdrege another and in a few
days another district will be formed with
North Platte as the headquarters. Work
will be confined at first to the districts
where the disease seems to be raging
the strongest, and that comprises the
South Platte country. While there have
been some reports from north Of the
Platte river the disease does not seem
to have so much of hold as in the south
part Of the state.
Frost May stop scourge.
From now on the weather is not likely
to be as uncomfortably warm as In the
past and now that cold weather may be
expected at no distant day leads to the
belief that as soon as 1t Is cold enough
to freeze these insects, If they are the
cause of the nalady, will disappear. In
the opinion Of the experts, until sore-
thing satisfactory can be discovered. ev-
cry precaution should be taken by owners
of horses to keep them away from un-
sanitary water tanks, second growth
grass and weeds, and poorly drained
pastures and lots. While many remedies
and preventives have been published,
none of them have been Of sufficient
Importance to warrant taking up. The
best of these and the one which will
do the most good is probably the plan
of placing ice on the head Of the animal
which show signs of the disease.
That the government is going to use
every means at its command to stamp
out the plague is evidenced by the fact
that the governors office received word
today that DR.. Melvin, chief Of the
bureau Of animal industry, would arrive
tomorrow and take charge of the work