The central record., 1913-05-30
OF U. 5. And State
Department OF Animal Industry
Investigate Disease Among
Horses.

In response to a letter written to
Hon. Harvey Helm on last Friday by
County Attorney J. E. Robinson inform
ing him of the disease prevalent among
the horses of this and adjoining counties,
representative of the U. S. Depart
ment of Animal Industry arrived here
on last Monday to investigate the
conditions existing, Mr.. Helm with
the courtesy and expediency for which
he is noted took the matter up without
delay, and exerted every influence with
in his power to assist US in our distress.
DIR. A. P. Abbott, representative
of the Department of Animal Industry,
accompanied by DIR. Robert Graham,
State Veterinarian, came here Monday
and spent two days in making thorouh
investigation of the existing conditions.
Tie result of their efforts was to
pronounce the malady as Catarrhal
Fever in very malignant form; the
disease according to these gentlemen
who are well versed in medical lore
pertaining to the diseases of domestic
animals, is both infectious and
contagious, and so rapidly has the
disease been known to spread in some
instances as to give rise to the inference
that it Is also atmospheIical, however
the latter is merely a supposition.
There has as yet been no cure discover
ed for the cause. of the disease, further
than that it originates from germ, and
there of course has yet been no remedy
discovered for its cure; in fact
the disease itself and it's complications
shows in such variety of forms, and
effects so many different animals in so
many different ways, that it has been
found very difficult to deal with.
The gentlemen state that after a
horse has been apparently perfectly
well for period of six weeks time,
that it may transmit the malady, and
for this reason, if for no other, the
greatest care should be exercised in
allowing them to come in contact with
well stock, or with stock that have not
been exposed to the malady; they also
advise that the greatest care should be
exercised in the treatment of horses,
that they should not be worked or allow
ed to become overheated when in the
convalescent stage, that they and other
stock should be given clean cool quarters,
good wholesome food and water and
plenty of fresh air.
The disease as usual thing runs it's
course in about sixty days and they
give it as their opinion that the disease
will be completely exterminated within
that length of time.
The Drs. dwelt at length upon the
anti-toxin which has been used in the
treatment of the disease, and they are
very anxious that the people be disa-
bused as to the idea existing in the
minds of some that the anti-toxin was
either detrimental or inefficient, or
that it spread the disease. DIR. Abbott
was very positive in his statements in
this regard; he says that the medicine
being used is an anti-toxin, and not
serum, that it is taken from diseased
horse as bacteria, dead, and is boiled
and by certain scientific means made
into an anti-toxin, which is then in
troduced into the stock desired to be
inoculated.
The Drs. state positively that this
anti-toxin will NOT CURE the malady,
neither will it PREVENT 1T, NOR
WILL ITS ADMINISTRATION
EITHER IMPART OR SPREAD
THE DISEASE the claim made
for it is that it will mitigate the
effects of the disease, or to use their
technical term, "check the secondary
invaders, which are pneumonia, acute
indigestion and the various complica-
tions which usually arise from or ac-
company it. They advocate that all
stock, be inoculated with the an
titoxin, as by its use the fatalities
will be reduced to the minimum.
AS a result of their researches, the
Drs. state that they have found that
about twelve deaths are all that can be
ascribed to Catarrhal Fever in this
county, but that there have been other
fatalities among the horses from other
causes, such as trouble in foaling, dis
temper and other maladies to
which the equine family is peculiar,
and that every death from whatsoever
cause was doubtless ascribed to the
malady which has created such a ter
rible scare and it must be admitted,
considerable havoc.
Both DIR. Abbott and DIR. Graham
expressed themselves as being well
satisfied with the manner in which the
disease is being handled in the county,
and expressed it as their opinion that
the local veterinarians were handling
the malady properly, and that every
thing possible was being done by them
to eradicate the disease, and that with
in a short time we might expect to see
it entirely disappear.