VETERINARY SCIENCE AND PRACTICE. 83 



and accompanied by signs of intense agony and distress. Nervous 

 twitcliings and Jerkiugs were frequently present. An opportunity was 

 not afforded the investigators to observe an animal suflering from this 

 affection prior to death, and the accounts of the symptoms are all taken 

 from observations made by the owners. Fost-viortcm examinations 

 revealed very slight structural changes in the various organs, the only 

 gross pathological changes observed being those of a hemorrhagic 

 nature, mostly confined to the serous membranes and principally those 

 of tlie heart. Ecchymoses were also present beneatli the pleura, over 

 the surface of the liver and spleen, and in the mucosa of the intestinal 

 tract. Twelve distinct si^ecies of bacteria not recognized as sapro- 

 l)hytes were isolated, but they all proved harmless to experimental 

 animals. 



It is believed that the disease is due to the existence of a jjoison in 

 the cornstalks, although the nature of this toxin has not yet been deter- 

 mined, and its presence is indeed but a provisional hypothesis based 

 upon the trend of the accumulated data. It is stated that although 

 the loss of cattle from this disease is severe, it is not of such great 

 economic importance as has been thought, and as it is not contagious, 

 does not threaten the cattle industry of this or other countries to M^hich 

 cattle may be shipped. 



Prevention is regarded as the only practical remedy. It is recom- 

 mended that cornstalks and leaves for fodder be cut, and fed to cattle 

 after this manner, instead of tlie cattle being turned into tlie fields and 

 allowed to feed upon the standing stalks. 



The plates are from microscoijic sections of liver tissue and heart 

 muscle, showing blood engorgement and hemorrhages in the tissues. 



Chemical examination of cornstalks presumably the cause of 

 cornstalk disease in cattle, E. A. db ScH^^^:INITZ ( U. S. Dept Agr., 

 Bureau of Anim<il Industry Bui. 10^ pp. 88-90). — The results of a chem- 

 ical examination of cornstalks taken from Iowa cornfields wherein cat- 

 tle feeding had been affected with the cornstalk disease. The methods 

 of analysis are stated at some length, and the reactions obtained with 

 various reagents are set down. Xo reaction whatever indicating any 

 alkaloidal content in the stalks was obtained. A diseased liver from 

 one of the animals dying from the cornstalk disease was also extracted 

 and analyzed, but with entirely negative results. The jjresence of an 

 active i)oisonous principle has therefore rot been demonstrated. 



A disease in cattle not distinguishable from rabies, V. A. Moore 

 [U. 8. Dept. Agr., Bureau of Animal Industry Bui. 10, pp. 71-87). — This 

 recounts the results of investigations of a peculiar disease affecting 

 cattle in Iowa in 1892. The disease made its ai^pearance among a herd 

 of 47 steers pastured on land of which the greater part was of a wet, 

 boggy nature, covered with tufts of wild grass, although several acres 

 in the 100-acre field were dry and produced tame grass. The cattle 

 were watered from a 100-foot well bored through limestone rock. The 



