Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-02-27
Methods To Control Bind staggers.

tIiOuSdnuS III texas, iowa, hdllSdS all
Nebraska from a disease affecting tn
nervous system, popularity known as blin
staegers or forage poisoning. The Depart
ment of Agriculture has received urgen
requests for help against this disease from
16 different States, and as a result it i
now publishing bulletin containing def
mite instructions for combating this dis
ease.
This shows the universally of the dis
ease. Kansas and Nebraska bore the brun
of the affection during the past year bu
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 parts 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 I'M
scrupulous persons. 1t is reported that in
Nebraska "blackleg vaccine" was used on
at least 1900 unaffected horses, nearly
1900 of which are said to have died as a
direct result.
Investigators have practically established
that this horse disease can be controlled
effectively only by total change of feed
and forage. 1t is quite obvious that there
is direct connection between the green
forage. exposed pasturage and newly-cut
hay or fodder which the horses eat and
this cerebrospinal meningitis. as the disease
is known to scientist. In fact, eating of
such forage when contaminated is I'M
doubtedly the most important cause. Over
95 per cent of cases of this disease in
Kansas and Nebraska during the outbreak
of 1912 were maintained under such con-
dtions.
Great care must be taken that horses
do not obtain the dangerous forage I'M
known to their owners. The owner of one
farm informed the Departments investi-
gator that his dead horses had eaten moth
ing but old hay and grain.
But what about the closely cropped
grass in this pasture 2" remarked the in
vestigator, noticing the adjacent field.
"Oh T. answered the farmer innocently.
Il always turn the work-horses into pas
ture over night"
Many horses have died from blind stag
GERS caused by eating modify baled hay.
AS soon as the hay was eliminated the
disease ceased. Other horses in the vicinity
not fed upon this hay failed to contract
this disease. 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,
seems not to be an infection, but rather
what is called "auto-intoxicatiOn that is,
it is due to certain chemical poisons or
toxins formed by the activity of internal
organisms. These poisons may be present
when the forage is taken into the body or
may be formed in the stomach. The ma
ture of this poison is still unknown
CHARACTERISTIC SYMPTOMS Or THE DISEASE.
When the horse is taken with the blind
staggers it usually exhibits disturbance
of the appetite. depression and weakness,
while there is trouble in swallowing, droop-
ing Of the head and slcepiness which may
give way TO excitement and attacks of dir
illness. The vision is impaired, which re-
suits in the staggering gait that gives the
disease its popular name. Certain muscles
Of the neck and TANKS are cramped and
there is a grinding of the teeth. Some
times the animal has pains as though ii
were afflicted with collie The animal will
walk strangely If in an open space and will
try to push through any obstacle it en-
counters. In the stable he will press his
head against the stall or rest it on the
manger. Sometimes he will crowd into a
corner. The temperature at the beginning
of the disease ranges from 1903 to l07 de-
grees F.. but within "a hours the tempera-
ture falls and eventually becomes sub-nor-
NAL. The animal is often down on the
second or third day and may or may not
get up when urged. Death usually occurs
in from four to eight days, although death
may follow within ten hours of the first
symptoms. while chronic cases have been
known to last for three weeks About 80
per cent. of the afflicted animals die.
MEDICAL TREATMENT GENERALLY UNs ATS
FACTORY.
While medical treatment in the vast
majority of cases has not brought results,
nevertheless II ii is used at all it must be
prompt and before the disease has had
time to run. The digestive tract should
be cleaned out thoroughly at once. Active
and concentrated remedies should be given.
Afflicted animals, however, have great diff
ficulty in swallowing Immediately after
being taken. so that these remedies must
generally be given by injection. Arecolin
in One-half grain doses. simultaneously,
has given good results as a pur9ative.
Early in the disease urotropin in doses Of
rs grains dissolved in water and given by
the mouth every hours. appears to have
been responsible for the recovery Of some
cases OF the malady.
After the animal has been purged, the
treatment varies according to the symp-
toms. The following measures have been
recommended
The first and most important Feed only
clean well-cured forage and grain, and
pure water.
Calomel. salol. and salcylic acid. to dis
infect intestines.
Mild antiseptic mouth-washes are ad
visable
Copious coldwater injections, II the tenn
perature is high, gives better results thar
antipyretics.
An ice pack applied to the head is bene
fetal in the case Of marked nervous dis
order.