El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-01-02

stockyards in Chicago, in Kansas City,
or elsewhere, it is held and dipped IN a
solution of lime and sulphur, or OF
nicotine and sulphur This prevents
the animal from spreading the disease.
Then the shipment which included TINS
steer or sheep is traced back to its
source, and careful inspection is made
of the herds in that nelghborhOod. All
the states. The federal government
cannot 90 further than to say that the
diseased animal must not be sent out
OF the state. But the state says: John
Jones, you dip your sheep"
Fighting '.Texas Fever
Another very striking illustration of
the effectiveness of the measures
adopted by the government for eradt-
eating animal plaques is afforded by
known as tick fever" It is malady
that is supposed to have been brought
into Mexico in very early days with
cattle from Spain. At a moderate esI-
mate, it costs the southern states S40,-
100000 a year. Systematic work against
it was not begun until 1906, but already
30 percent Of the territory then infested
has been entirely cleared of the insects
which are the sole carriers Of the
plague.
The blood sucking tick that does the
mischief introduces into the veins OF
the cattle a viruient microbe, a protC-
zoon like the malaria germ, which
feeds on the red blood cells, destroying
them Many of the animals attacked
die But there are other losses. When
a cow, covered with swarms Of these
horrid parasites, is losing some pouncs
of blood each day. she requires more
feed. Her weight is reduced, her out
nut of milk is lessened, and her calf
suffers a retardation OF growth.
Tick fever is the great obstacle TO
successful cattle raising in the south,
and a constant menace to the cattle in
the north On which account a barrier
line for many years past mas Deen
drawn all the way from Virginia TO
California, across which southern cattle
are not allowed to pass. But as one
district after another is freed of the
pest the quarantine is removed from
these areas, to the great advantage OF
the local cattle raisers- In 1act, tne
latter may have every inducement 10
see that their farms are rid Of ticks
which, as shown by results already OBJ
tanned. is a matter of no great dltti-
Guilty.
ANY farm may be freed of ticks by
keeping the cattle clear Of them for a
! single season This may be accom-
plished by.pfcking. brushing, or spray
ing with solution consisting OF cot
tonseed oil and crude petroleum in
equal parts. Deprived OF their oppor-
tunity to suck blood, the ticks all starve
| to death in n few months.
Begin War on '.DOurine.'
Congress has made another special
appropriation. Of 100000, for wiping
| out a very serious disease Of horses
/ l5novru as "dourine" 1t is supposed 20
! have been imported from Europe. The
campaign against it was begun about a
/ year ago in Montana. the Dakotas, and
wyoming, a large force Of inspectors
! being placed in the field by the bureau
of animal industry. Tests of exposed
or suspected horses are made by eNam-
( ming samples of their blood. and those
! found to be tainted with the disease
! are slaughtered-iust as is done in the
} case of cattle suffering from the foot
and mouth trOUble-and paid for by the
! government. In this work the govern
ment has the advantage of hearty CO.
/ operation on the part Of horsemen.
A highly infectious disease, only Sec
I ond to tuberculosis in destructiveness
where cattle are concerned, is one that
/ causes the premature birth Of calves
/ Losses from it run up far into the nil
/ lions of dollars annually. The germ
! accountable for the mischief, which is {
! bacillus, has been isolated and identi-
fled; and at the present time prOmis-
] ing experiments are being made with Z
! vaccine" which seems likely to serve
| as a preventive.
Tuberculosis Causes Heavy Losses.
tuberculosis in cattle is not only tht
! cause of enormous money loss, but alst
l helps to spread the most widely oc
| structive of all human diseases. PEG
| pie often wonder why the Almighty
| should have visited upon mankind 81
| dreadful an afflictiOn-a malady which
| destroys one out Of every seven per
/ sons born in the United States Tit
fact is, however, that tuberculosis is