BOTULISM IN CATTLE 



ROBERT GRAHAM and HERMAN R. SCHWARZE 



Department of Animal Husbandry, Laboratory of Animal Pathology, University 



of Illinois 



Received for publication July 11, 1920 



The etiologic factor, or factors, in a sporadic toxemic-like 

 disease in cattle sometimes designated as forage poisoning have 

 been the subject of many experimental studies in the last decade. 

 During this time the disease has occurred sporadically with 

 varying severity throughout the middle western states, and 

 more recently our attention has been repeatedly invited to 

 these losses. It may be significant to mention that com silage 

 of some character was being fed to many of the herds develop- 

 ing the disease that came under our observation during the 

 winter months of 1919-1920, yet this feed was definitely incrim- 

 inated in but three instances. The primary relation of B. hotu- 

 linus-\\ke, organisms to one type of forage poisoning in horses 

 and mules, together with the occasional occurrence of this 

 anaerobe in different animal feeds, has suggested the importance 

 of determining the relation, if any, of certain toxic anaerobes 

 to so-called forage poisoning in cattle, and our investigations of 

 the disease in these animals have been devoted primarily to the 

 pathogenic and toxic characters of spore bearing anaerobes in 

 suspicious feeds, and of like organisms encountered in the intes- 

 tinal content and spleen of animals fatally afflicted. 



CLINICAL SYMPTOMS 



In view of the fact that so-called forage poisoning in cattle 

 may apparently be confused vnih. hemorrhagic septicemia or 

 enteric bacterial infections of the colon-typhoid group, or other 

 rapidly fatal diseases of a toxemic character, a brief description 



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