180 AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE BULLETINS. 



No. 29,— VETERINARY DEPARTMENT. 

 A NEW CONTAGIOUS DISEASE AMONG HORSES IN AMERICA. 



It has been observed for some years past by those investigators, who have 

 devoted their talents to the advancemeat of science, that as the commercial 

 intercourse between countries becomes more and more developed, the greater 

 becomes the geographical distribution of contagious diseases, and as a conse- 

 qence we find this continent, every now and again, coming in for its share 

 of the burden of some new plague, and recently we find, on enquiring into 

 the health of domestic animals, that it is our unpleasant duty to have to 

 chronicle the introduction of an unwelcome visitor, presumably from France, 

 and bearing the name of ''Maladie du Coit," which name has been given to 

 the complaint by French scientists, owing to the peculiar manner in which 

 most animals contract the disorder. While the Arabs, who have long known 

 the disease, call it El dourine, or Dourinn. 



Speaking briefly of the early history of the malady, I may say that it wa& 

 first observed in Eastern Europe during the latter part of the 18th century, 

 but it was not until our own time that it made its appearance in some of the 

 more westerly countries of that continent, when it invaded several parts of 

 France, and was traced to the importation of a stallion, brought from Syria 

 in Asia, iu 1851. French veterinarians think that from the close resemblance 

 of the climate of the two countries, the germs of the complaint, having found 

 a suitable abode in the southern part of the French continent, have come to 

 stay. We now find from newspaper reports, as well as from the very inter- 

 esting report of the Territorial Veterinarian of Wyoming, that the disease 

 has prevailed in Illinois, even to an alarming extent in some parts, within 

 the last three mouths ; but through the vigilance of the veterinarians in 

 charge, and the State live stock commission, the malady has been confined, 

 as far as I am aware, to McLean and DeWitt counties, in the center of the 

 State. 



With regard to the introduction of " Maladie du Coit " into the United 

 States, it must be admitted that the exact source from which it came is still 

 wrapped in great obscurity; there is an idea, however, that it was imported 

 with a black Percheron stallion in 1882, but it does not appear to have spread 

 from this horse, in a virulent form at all events, until last spring. Since 

 then about forty mares and two stallions are reported to have perished through 

 the influence of this mysterious complaint. 



Still further with regard to the introduction of the plague. Territorial Vet- 

 erinarian Hopkins tells us, in his recent report, that, " it is claimed by some 

 creditable horsemen in DeWitt county, Illinois, that it was brought from 

 Texas," and says further, "it appears that in 1885 a large number of mares 

 were brought from Texas, and stinted to Percheron horses, and shortly after- 

 wards the disease appeared among the stallions who served the mares," but at 

 the conclusion of the paragraph says : " After much enquiring into this rumor 

 I am obliged to state that I don't believe that it has any foundation in fact." 



As this plague is sure to spread unless it is prevented from so doing by the 

 most vigilant preventive measures, and the close observance of strict quaran- 

 tine upon the first signal of alarm, and in order |hat it may be headed off, as 

 it were, I shall endeavor in this Bulletin to describe the peculiarities of the 



