Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1914-06-26
METHODS TO CONTROL
Blind Stagsers, Which Is Causing The
Death OF Thousands of Horses.

~ RA9A NeA AAoA aA9 AAoNN AANNA ~ "a
thousands in Texas, Iowa, Kansas an
q Nebraska from a disease affecting the mel
/ vous system, popularity known as bin
staggers or forage poisoning. The de
partment has received urgent requests TO
, help against this disease from sixtee
different States, and as a result it ha
published a bulletin containing dehnit
instructions for combating this disease.
The States that appealed to the de
partment for assistance include the fol
lowing Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky
Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri Nebraska
New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon
South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia
and West Virginia
This shows the universally Of the dis
ease. Kansas and Nebraska bore the
bnnt of the affection during the past
year, but other States have also suffered
| seriously Kansas has had more than
her share. Severe outbreaks extended
over almost the entire State in 1891, and
since that date have REQUIRED with equal
severity on two occasions in various por-
tions of the State.
The bulletin takes notice of the fact
that additional deaths have undoubtedly
been due to the use of fake cures" sold
by INSCRIPTIONS persons. 1t is reported
that in Nebraska "blackleg vaccine" was
used on at least 500 unaffected horses.
nearly l 800 of which are said to have
died as a direct result.
Investigators have practically estab
lished that this horse disease can be con.
trolled effectively only by total change
of feed and forage II is quite obvious
that there is a direct connection between
the green forage, expose pasturage, and
newly-cut hay or fodder which the horses
eat and this cerebro spinal meningitis, as
the disease IS known TO scientists. In
fact, eating Of such forage when contain
mated is undoubtedly the most impor
tant cause. Over IS per cent. of cases
Of this disease in Kansas and Nebraska
Outing the outbreak of 1912 were main !
tanned under such conditions.
Great care must be taken that horses !
10 not obtain the dangerous forage un- |
known to their owners. The owner of |
one farm informed the departments in |
restigator that his dead horses had eaten
nothing but old hay and grain.
But what about the closely-cropped
yrass in this pasture ?" remarked the
Investigator, noticing the adjacent field
oh, answered the farmer innocently.
! always turn the work horses into pas
ure over night.
Many horses have died from blind
taggers caused by eating moldy baled
ay. As soon as the hay was eliminated
he disease ceased. Other horses in the
icinity, not fed upon this hay, failed to
ontraCt this disease. Later some of the
ioldy bales were opened and exposed to
he sun for three or four weeks. After
his the hay was fed to horses without
reducing any i'll effect. Forage poison
X, therefore, seems not to be an in
.Ction, but rather what is called auto
toxication that is, it is due to GER
in chemical poisons or toxins formed
: the activity of internal organisms.
hese pOisons NAV be present when the
rage is taken into the body or may be
rmed in the stomach. The nature of
is poison is still unknown.
SYMPTOMS or THE Dis
EASE.
When the horse is taken with the blind
aggers II usually exhibits a disturbance L
the appetite, depression, and weak +
,ss, while there is trouble in swallow
& dropping of the head, and sleepi-
IS, which may give way to excitement
ID attacks of dizziness. The vision is
lpaired, which results in the Stagger- m
& gait that gives the disease its popular a
me. Certain muscles of the neck and "
INKS are Cramped and there is grind ol
z of the teeth. Sometimes the animal q,
$ pains as though it were afflicted with in
lie The animal will walk strangely if "
an open space and will try TO push q
rough any obstacle it encounters. In 6i
e stable he will press his head against hi
E stall or rest it on the manger. Some IL
mes he will crowd into a corner. The a,
nperature at the beginning of the dis
Sc ranges from 1899 to 1917 F.. but n,
thin "a hours the temperature falls and n
entually becomes subnormal The ami &C
Il is often down on the second or third 81
y and may or may not get up when
yed. Death usually occurs in from a,
II to eight days, although death may ell
low within ten hours of the first symp- til
MS, while chronic cases have been Ia
own to last for three weeks. About d,
lety per cent of the affected animals m
.DIcAL TREATMENT GENERALLY IN ~
SATISFACTORY. "'
While medical treatment in the vast To
,Jority of cases has not brought results 70
vertheless if it is used at all it must be ma
)mpt and before the disease has had ar
lie to run. The digestive tract should co
cleaned out thoroughly at once. Ac- CO
{ and concentrated remedies should be ed
en. Afflicted animals, however. have
Eat difficulty in swallowing immedi-
ly after being taken, so that these d,
nedies must generally be given bv in
ton. Arecolin in one-half grain doses.
has given good results Nj
a purgative. Early in the disease
'tropin in doses of Is grains dissolved DE-
water and given by the mouth everv
hours, appears to have been respon tol
lie TOR the recovery of some cases of
malady. W
utter the animal has been purged. the
atment varies according to the symp Nj
IS. The following measures have
n recommended
The yfrsf and most imboytank.. Feed
y clean, well-cured forage and grain. wi
pure water. ma
alomel, salol, and salicylic acid, to tn,
infect intestines etr
lid antiseptic mouth washes are ad-
lble.
opious cold-water injections. if the VT
y