The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-08-23
Ten of Twelve Heifers Succumb
at one Time; Seven Stricken
East Of Town; Results
Are Similar.
DRIED FEED STUFF
CAUSE is BELIEF
Veterinarians Say Shriveled KAT
fir, Feterita or Cane Contains
Poison; Will Also Affect
Horses and Mules.

Grady county cattle are dying as
the result Of having eaten kaffir, fet-
erita, broom corn or cane leaves and
stalks that have become dried by
the heat and drouth before matured
and veterinarians are sounding a
warning t0 all stock owners to keep
their stuff away from the dried up
fields under penalty OF losing them.
The heaviest loss has been report
ed from Ed Singletons dairy, west
of Chickasha where ten out of twelve
young heifers fell victims to the poi.
sonous acid contained in the dried
up stalks. These animals had been
fed small bundles of feterita that had
partially dried while standing in the
field Within 20 minutes after the
animals had fed on the forage, two
of them were dead and the rest were
apparently in agony. A veterinarian
was summoned, but despite all efforts
eight more of the herd died within
an hour Only two were saved.
r. B. Human, the veterinarian call
ed, stated today that apparently the
stomachs Of the animals cramped as
does the human stomach in an attack
lof ptomaine poisoning. A postmor,
tenn examination by Veterinarians HUI
man and Wilmott disclosed the fact
that the stomach mouth had closed
to the extent that no medicine, nor
even water, could enter. No bloat
was in evidence in the cattle during
their brief illness or after death, but
on the contrary their entire bodies
took on a pinched or shriveled ap-
pearance.
Another report reaching Chickasha
from the farm Of John Jones, living
east of the city, stated that seven Of
his cattle were stricken with similar
symptoms after feeding in broom
corn field after the heads had been
removed. None of these cattle died,
but il took heroic work to save their
lives. Bruce Jones, living in the
same neighborhood, reports like
experience. He was driving a herd
OF cattle from one pasture to anoth-
or. AT a point along the road whore
there was no fence a few of the herd
crossed into a field of feed stuff and
took few nbbes. A quarter Of a
mile farther along three were down
An hours work by a veterinarian
hastily summoned, saved them.
Some expressed the belief that the
forage would not affect horses or
mules in this manner This theory
was exploded, however, when a mule
from the farm of J. E. Mcneil, west
Of Chickasha, was downed by an at
tack. The animal had eaten of
some dried-up forage stuff after
which he was ridden to town by a
boy. On the return trip the animal
fell in the road at the western edge
of this city. He was finally saved.
Veterinarians declare that the poi
son contained in this feed stuff is in
the form of an acid principally in the
stalk. The stalk and leaves are
shriveled by the heat and want of
moisture, practically all substance is
gone and only the poisonous acid re-
mains, the experts declare.
1T is not necessary for the stock
TO eat a large quantity of this poi
sonous stuff in order to produce
death" said Mr.. Human. "A very
small amount is sufficient to kill the
best animal in the country In the
cases that | have been treating, only
a minimum amount of the forage was
eaten. 1t is absolutely useless as a
feed as there is no substance there,
and it is dangerous. | would advise
all farmers to take great care in feed
ing their stuff at this time