The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-03-11
HORSES and THE
BLIND STAGGERS"
DISEASE THAT HAS BEEN FATAL
IN MANY STATES-NoRTH DA-
kOTA HAS BEEN FAIRLY FREE
FROM THE RAVAGES OF THIS
MALADY.

The department of agriculture has
sent out a bulletin regarding the
causes and cure for "a. disease of
horses known as blind s~taggers."
Fortunately North Dakota has so
lar been fairly free from loss on this
account, but farmers will do we'll to
inform themselves of the possibility
or there being repeated here what
has occurred in other states.
In past a horses have died by
the thousands in Texas, Iowa, KAN
sas and Nebraska, from a disease af-
tect1ng the nervous system, popular
ly known as blind staggers'' or forage
poisoning. The department has re-
celVed urgent requests for help
against this disease, from sixteen diff
ferent states, and as a result it is now
publishing a bulletin containing def
mite instructions for combating this
disease,
This shows the universally of the
disease. Kansas and Nebraska bore
the brunt of the affliction during the
past year, but other states have also
suffered seriously. Kansas has had
more than her share. Severe out
tire state in 1891, and since that
date have required with equal sever
1ty on two occasions in various por-
tons Of the state. :
The bulletin takes notice of the
fact that additional deaths have un-
doubtedly been due to the use of
rake cures" sold by INSCRIPTIONS
persons. 1t is reported that in Ne
braska "blackleg vaccine was used
on at least 1900 unaffected Bhorses,
nearly 1900 of which are said to have
died as a direct result.
investigators have practically es-
tablished that this horse disease can
be controlled effectively only by a
total change of feed and forage. 1t
is quite obvious that there is a direct
connection between the green for
age, exposed pasturage, and newly
cut hay or fodder which the horses
eat, n this, cerebro spinal menin-
gifts, as the disease is known to sci
entists. In fact, eating Of such for
age when contaminated is undoubt-
eddy the most important cause. Over
IS per cent Of cases of this disease
in Kansas and Nebraska during the
outbreak of 1922 were maintained
under such conditions.
Great car must be taken that
horses do not obtain the dangerous
forage unknown to their owners.
The owner of one farm Informed the
departments investigator that his
dead horses, had eaten nothing but
old hay and grain.
But what about the closely crop
ped grass in this pasture?" remarked
the investigator, noticing the ada
cent field.
"Oh," answered the farmer limo
Gently, II always turn the work horses
into pasture over night"
Many horses have died from blind
staggers caused by eating moldy
baled hay. AS soon, as the hay was
eliminated the disease ceased. 9th
er horses in the vicinity not fed upon
this hay failed to contract this dis
ease. Later some Of the moldy bales
were opened and exposed to the sun
for three or four weeks. After this
the hay was fed to horses without
producing any i'll effect. Forage
poisoning, therefore, appears not to be
an infection, but rather what is called
auto Observation-Disclosures is, it is
due to certain chemical poisons or
toxins formed by the activity Of in
ternal organisms. These poisons may
be present when the forage is taken
into the body, or may be formed in
the stomach. The nature of this
poison is still unknown.