The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-08

Kansas
The meeting this morning was given
over almost entirely to discussion of
the recent battling horse epidemic. The
speakers on this subject were DR.. F.
s. SchCenleber state veterinarian; DR..
A F. Kinsley, vice president of the
Kansas City Veterinary college, and
DR. F. P. Haslam. professor of veteri-
nary medicine of the State Agricultural
college.
DR.. Kinsley expressed the opinion
that in the districts where the malady
ragged a few months ago, and until
the 1912 forage crops have been fed
TO live stock there will be here and
there case of the epidemic reported.
He considered it possible that a wide
epidemic will never appear again. The
speakers stated that it was where
the horses were pasture fed that the
epidemic was noted. The exact cause
was not given.
DR.. F. p. Hasten. who inoculated
more than 1000 horses with a sub
stance of his own discovery. stated
that out of LOO reports received con-
cerHing the injections he learned of
but 90 deaths.
DR.. Sehoenleber told of amusing
causes given in country districts in
kansas for the horse disease and the
method of treatment employed.
1.-The trouble without question was
the system of the horses and the
treatment for this is to allow stnezhorse
to inhale the fumes of burning feath-
ers." said the speaker. daughter)
"One-half pint of kerosene poured
down each nostril and in severe cases
as high as a gallon is indicated
'tDried distemper is another form
and diseased 'hoppers in other locali-
ties was the cause. while in still other
places We found that the trouble was
nothing more or less than chronic
nasal catarrh of the head.
Treatment, one pint of clear coal
oil poured down the throat and one
gallon into the bowels. In one-half
hour give an emetlc OF eplcac.
Cayenne pepper in the nose.
"a drench of red pepper tea
.sHorsera dish three times a day
''Three to four ,p1nts OF sbuttermIlk
daily
The speaker explained that .thous-
ands of horses died of the treatment
received at the hands of ignorant
wouldbe doctors, and not of the horse
sickness.
DR.. Kinsley said in part;
This is not a new disease. 1t has
appeared in various localities at diff
ferent times. The exact cause of this
widespread epizootic has not been
positively identified. 1t was found that
the disease was primarily confined toi
animals in pastures.
THE parasitic theory and the in
fluenza theory have apparently been
abandoned. Some still maintain that
the disease was due to infection. If it
was an infectious disease, it certainly
was materially different from other
infectious disease with which We arel
familiar.
1.-The extent of the loss from this dis
ease was exaggerated by the press. In
the territory where the disease was
most prevalent, not more than forty
per cent of the horse populat ion died.
a 70 II live och
commissioner of Kansas about $1,000
horses died of this disease in the state.
and of that number it is probable 5000
died as result of medication.
TT was not uncommon for grafters
who passed as expert veterinarians to
collect from one to five hundred dol
lars a day remaining in one location for
only a few days; then moving from
twenty to fifty miles to repeat the pro-
cess.
Some instances of the practices of
veterinarians were so fragrant that
veterinary associations should inves-
tigate, and if reports are true, such
veterinarians should be expelled from
! the rolls of all ethical societies. Fur
Their, the charges are so grave in some
instances that the veterinary exauin-
ing boards of the states from which
the men are registered should revoke
their licenses and prevent their fur
Their practice in veterinary medicine.
THE question naturally arises, will
there be a repetition of this serious
disease? To predict the future of such
conditions is very difficult, and in my
opinion there will be occasional losses
of one OF more horses in various COM
munities where this disease existed
until these forage crops have all been
disposed Of Such q widespread epi-
zootic L never appear again, but the
determining factor resides in climatic