146 ANNUAL. REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



FriedbcTficr and Froliner state {SjjecieUe Pathologie und Thern- 

 pie^ 18!H;, I'oui'tli edition), in connection with tlie discussion oT 

 mould-poisoning, that feeding- exixn-imeuts ai-e usually Avithout 

 result; bul, the}' add, that it is illogical to conclude from this, in 

 the face of the clinical evidence, that moulds do not have patho- 

 genetic properties. They do not cite any experiments to show that 

 mouldy foods are dangerous; all of their evidence appears to be 

 clinical. 



Case. On October 29, 1900, I was asked by Dr. Francis Bridge 

 to see with him a stable in which five horses had died of cerebro- 

 spinal meningitis, so-called. The purpose of the consultation was 

 to determine if possible the origin of the disease. 



It was found that the horse stable consisted of a row of seven 

 stalls across one end of the stone basement of a large barn. One 

 long side of the basement w^as against an embankment and had 

 no windows. The other long side was protected by an overhang. 

 There were windows under the overhang and in each end of the 

 barn. In front of the row of horse stalls and running at right 

 angles to it were two rows of cow^s with stalls for about forty 

 animals. There were two silos on the embankment side of the 

 stable. This silage was thrown down into a dark room, formerly 

 used as a root-cellar, opening into the stable at about the middle. 

 The partition between the i>art of the stable occupiecl by the cows 

 and that occupied by the horses ccmsisted of the front of the horses' 

 mangers. This did not extend above the level of the feed-boxes. 



A silo had been opened about one week before the first cases 

 developed. The silage was somewhat mouldj^ on top and had a 

 musty odor. This condition extended down around the sides for 

 several feet. No silage was known to have been fed to the horses, 

 although some could get on their hay, which remained for a time, 

 after it was thrown down from the loft, in the passageway in front 

 of the cows. It was also possil)le thnt some of the milkers may 

 have fed a little silage to the horses. 



The hay fed to the horses was of good quality and in good con- 

 dition. The concentrated feed was a mixture of oats, corn and 

 bran, and appeared to be in good condition. It was kept in a cov- 

 ered feed bin in the i)assageway between Ihc horse mangers and 

 the cow stalls. 



All of the seven horses in the stable became weak, showed mus- 

 cular tremors, difficulty in chewing and swallowing, and gradually 

 progressive paresis, which terminated in death in five instances. 

 The other two horses were removed to another barn and recovered. 

 The duration of the disease was from two to four days. No autop- 

 sies were made. 



Suspecting the silage, on account of experience in previous out- 



