The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-06-29
HISTORY OF THE DEADLY
CATTLE TICK FEVER

IIi0-IIJ9-Fl lrSt description OF dis.
ease in North America, the result o1
outbreak of fever in Lancaster coun.
| ty. Pa, traced to a North Carolina
shipment of cattle.
1775-1799-Colony of Virginia re.
stricted cattle Immediately south from
entering their grazing grounds.
1868-Heavy death rate of cattle in
Illinois and Indiana, the result OF
shipping in Texas cattle.
1S68-Disease named Texas fever
southern cattle fever, ETC., etc
187O-Western cowboy war largely
the result of trailing ticky cattle
northward.
186S-1884. Enormous death rate in
northern states where southern cat
tie were shipped to market. First
federal law designed to control the
situation.
1885-Investigation and location OF
infected territory of Southern states.
885-1888-First study and inves-
tigation of the disease by leading
scientists and practical cattlemen of
the United States. Disease thought
to have been introduced by early
Spanish settlers.
1889-Discovery of the micro,
organism of the disease in the blood
Of fever stricken cattle.
89-1890-Conclusiv proof the
tick only natural means of producing
the disease in cattle
Establishment of the nation
o1
stretching from a point on the At
lantic coast of Virginia to a point on
the Pacific coast in California. which
affected the fifteen states Of Califor-
MIA, Indian Territory, Texas, Louis
lara, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi.
Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Geor-
gia, Florida, South Carolina, North
Carolina and Virginia.
91-1893-Conclusive proof one
particular tick capable of producing
the disease, and discovery and proof
of its life cycle and habits. An Am
erican achievement and the first dis
covery of an insect borne disease.
1898 93-1899-Positivel demonstrated
ticks could be eradicated from farms,
pasture sand ranges by disinfecting
or removing cattle from pasture to
pasture.
1899-1905-Tick eradication accom-
plished in parts of Virginia, North
Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Ken
lucky, Oklahoma, Texas and Califor-
mia.
905-Conservative estimate of an
nual loss from ticks in the original
tick infested states-forty million
dollars!
05-1906-Dipping cattle in arsen-
strated to be safe and practical.
1906-First direct congressional ap-
preparation of funds for cooperation
with states in tick eradication work,
through the earnest appeal of south
ern cattlemen, farmers and states
men,.
19O6-1919-Five hundred thousand
square miles of territory released
from federal quarantine, the result of
tick eradication. This is 20 per cent
of the original tick-infested area.
Estimated cost of the
work to the various counties, states
and the national gOvernment-ten
million dollars.
Estimated returns on
the money expended for tick eradica-
tion in the way of increased values
and candition Of the cattle industry
alone-sixty million dollars.
19O6-1919-There were established
and put into use 36,083 concrete dip
ping vats.
1919-There were employed by the
various counties and states and the
national government 2439 men to con-
duct and officially supervise the work
of tick eradication.
1919-There were ffty-four mill
ioE cattle dipped in connection with
tick eradication work.
1920-There remains an area of
232, ,421 square miles in which the
tick must be dipped to finish the job.
Counties! States. Let's dip the last
tick and finish this history.