ELEVENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X 535 



peared normal. This colt was decidedly sluggish in its movements, con- 

 trary to its usual habits as stated by owner. Mastication, as well as 

 locomotion, was visibly impaired. Heart action and temperature varied 

 little from normal at this stage. Attempt was made at treatment but 

 the animal succumbed within forty-eight hours from time of attack in 

 a similar manner as those above described. 



A search was made for a probable cause of this condition, and the 

 material most in doubt was the hay, which had been cut from low lands, 

 and was of inferior quality and poorly cured. The pasture, while of a 

 suspicious nature, consisting largely of swampy land with a sluggish 

 stream running through its full length, could not be depended upon en- 

 tirely as harboring the cause, owing to the fact that the lateness of 

 season, with the scarcity of feed, caused the colts to spend most of 

 their time away from the pasture and at the racks in the barn eating 

 hay. The colts were now barred from the pasture entirely, a change was 

 made in the feed from hay to oats, straw and corn, and with the building 

 well cleansed and disinfected, no further losses occurred. 



Owing to the considerable similarity as regards surrounding condi- 

 tions of the two, I wish in connection to mention as to a disease ex- 

 isting in a herd of young cattle, and which, during the latter part of 

 December, 1909, I was asked by Dr. Koto to investigate. The herd num- 

 bered originally one hundred and thirty-five head and consisted of calves 

 ranging in age from seven to ten months. Up to within a month or so 

 of this time the whole herd had a thrifty appearance, bad access to water 

 from a deep well and was fed corn fodder, wild hay and straw in 

 liberal quantities. The first symptoms of disease noticed were a rather 

 rapid loss of flesh, and arched back, and a somewhat stiffened gait; the 

 weaker end of herd, or those having least resistance, being attacked first. 

 A calf, thus affected, would continue to grow weaker, or more uncertain 

 in its movements, for two, three or four days, and finally unable to arise 

 for the last day or so, succumb. Appetite remained fair to the last, even 

 after recumbent. 



At the time mentioned above, thirty-three had died in this manner 

 in spite of considerable medication by owner and others. Of the re- 

 mainder of herd, forty or more were visibly affected. 



Post mortem examinations of two, destroyed for that purpose, re- 

 vealed nothing grossly abnormal. All of the larger organs were appar- 

 ently natural. In the subcutaneous tissue, however; was seen yellow or 

 straw-colored exudations in many different parts, with blood extravasa- 

 tions especially on lower part of limbs. The same straw-colored transu- 

 dations, with slight blood extravasations were noticeable, also in the 

 meningeal spaces of the cord, the peritoneal folds, and in a number of 

 lymph glands, which were considerably enlarged. 



For want of a better term, I named it Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis 

 though Food Poisoning or Forage Poisoning might have seemed more 

 suitable. There was no doubt in my mind as to the causative agent 

 being contained in the food. Suspecting the wild hay, which had been 

 cut from land subject to overflow from a stream running through it, 



