147 



Division of Animal Industry 



Honolulu, April 19, 1920. 



Board of Commissioners of Agriculture and Forestry, Honolulu, T. H. 



Gentlemen: — I beg to submit herewith my report on the work of the 

 Division of Animal Industry for the month of March, 1920: 



TONGUE PARALY8I8 IN CATTLE. 



For the past year or more a strange disease has been reported as ap- 

 pearing first on Molokai, later on Lanai and more recently on Maui and 

 in the Kona district of Hawaii. The disease is characterized by the 

 partial paralysis of the tongue, which interferes with the prehension and 

 deglutition. As a result of this the affected animals become emaciated 

 and finally die. On post-mortem examination nothing typical has been 

 found except that the various stomachs contained poorly masticated 

 food. 



The last outbreak reported — the one from Maui — where Dr. Fitzgerald 

 had made post-mortem examination of three typical cases, would seem to 

 be a form of hemorrhagic septicemia, as he found bloody exudations in 

 the chest cavity and discolorations on the heart. 



As enlargement of the tongue has been mentioned in a report from 

 Africa as occurring in hemorrhagic septicemia, it seems likely that this 

 is the disease we are dealing with here. An enlarged tongue and a 

 paralyzed tongue both protrude from the mouth and may easily be mis- 

 taken for each other. 



Experiments are now under way to attempt to- cure some of the typical 

 cases with the hemorrhagic septicemia serum which we liave on hand. 



INFECTIOUS ABOETION IN CATTLE. 



This insidious and verv destructive disease has unfortunately made 

 its appearance in two dairy herds in Honolulu. 



Dr. Rowat reports abortion very prevalent in South Kona, but states 

 that the cattle owners believe it due to certain poisonous plants of th-^ 

 Salvia family. 



We have obtained abortion bacterins as well as curative serum and 

 are now treating the affected herds apparently with success. 



SWINE PLAGUE. 



A large herd of swine at Watertown have developed swine plague. 

 Unfortunately the owner failed to report it until about 75 head had 

 died. Vaccination with swine plague bacterins and the administratio -. 

 of necrobacillosis powder in the food put an almost immediate stop to 

 the outbreak. 



TUBERCULOSIS CONTROL. 



In spite of the very heavy infections met with in the Waialae and 

 Wailupe districts, the total number of reactors for the past year will 

 fall below 1%%. The most important question now would seem to be 

 the complete eradication of the disease from the Wailupe district. The 

 matter is under consideration and the Division is ready to proceed as 

 soon as the required facilities for a complete round-up have been pro- 

 vided. 



