62 Missouri Agricultur-al Revort. 



FORAGE POISONING — OR HORSE PLAGUE OF THE CENTRAL WEST. 



The widespread interest in this disease was due to the 

 mysterious manner in which it spread over the western states, 

 especially Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Colorado, Iowa and a few 

 points in Missouri. Soon after the appearance of this disease federal 

 and state officials hurried to the stricken field and began an ex- 

 tensive investigation to determine its cause and prevention. 



The first cases reported were from Ness county, Kansas, the 

 latter part of July, and the disease spread rapidly over the western 

 half of Kansas and soon made its appearance in the other states 

 above referred to. Many of the investigators claimed that the 

 disease was not contagious, and that it was due to a fungus growth 

 on the grass produced by the peculiar season. Others claimed that 

 the disease was contagious. 



In order to be better prepared to act intelligently we consulted 

 with Governor Hadley, and at the Governor's directions we made a 

 careful investigation, of the disease. In the meantime hurried ar- 

 rangements had been made for calling the Board of Agriculture to- 

 gether for the purpose of issuing a proclamation prohibiting the 

 importation of horses from any of the states where the infection 

 existed. After a careful investigation at Dodge City, Great Bend 

 and Hoxie, Kan., we came to the conclusion that the disease was not 

 infectious and could not be transmitted from one animal to another, 

 but was simply a forage poisoning. Therefore a quarantine could 

 offer us no protection and we so wired your honorable Secretary. 

 In the meantime considerable pressure was brought to bear upon 

 Governor Hadley, and in order to satisfy the people, a call was issued 

 for a meeting of the Board of Agriculture at the Hotel Baltimore, 

 Kansas City, where the situation was discussed in open meeting, 

 when it was decided unanimously by the members of the Board of 

 Agriculture present that a State quarantine was unwarranted and 

 would offer no protection against the disease. 



With the approach of cool weather the disease disappeared, but 

 not until the several states above referred to had suffered a tre- 

 mendous loss. We have received an unofficial report that Kansas 

 suffered a loss of over 25,000 horses. A few cases developed in the 

 extreme northwestern part of the State, but soon disappeared with 

 a comparatively small loss, which did not exceed 75 head. 



