[8 April, 1907] . Staggers in Horses. 243 



Summarized, the history of the St. Arnaud outbreak is as follows: — 

 A crop of oaten hay had been har\-ested and stacked towards the end of 

 December. When the stack had been completed it was found that on the 

 lowest land, which had been left till last, there were still about two loads 

 of hay remaining in the paddock. This hay, the sheaves of which were 

 heavy in the butt on account of the rank growth of moisture-weeds, was 

 carted into the chaff house and immediately chaffed. The chaff was left 

 in a heap, unbagged, and the feeding of it to the farm horses was com- 

 menced straightaway. Within a few davs all the horses fed on it became 

 ill ; two died, and four others showed characteristic symptoms of staggers 

 or forage poisoning, at the time of investigation into the affair bv Mr. 

 E. N. Wood, V.S. Prior to this anthrax had been suggested locallv as 

 the cause of the outbreak, and when the diagnosis of forage poisoning was 

 communicated it was not regarded , with sufficient confidence to prevent 

 continuance of use of the suspected fodder. Hence the continuance of the 

 outbreak until thirteen horses had become affected, eight of which died. 



The only common factor in all the cases was the eating of the par- 

 ticular lot of chaff before mentioned. Tho.se horses — and those only, and 

 all of them — that had been fed on it became affected. 



It would appear that something in the nature of an obscure fermenta- 

 tion or fungosis, giving rise to the formation of a toxic element, had pro- 

 ceeded in this distinct lot of chaff — how originating, wherefor arising, is 

 beyond the present limits of scientific knowledge to determine; but the 

 occurrence of which is, nevertheless, logically and properlv deducible from 

 the general facts associated with this and other well-studied outbreaks. 



It is to be inferred that the month's delay of the renresentative people 

 of the St. Arnaud district to accept the diagnosis, and to take the preven- 

 tive steps which such diagnosis so clearly indicated, was due to the inability 

 of its sponsors to demonstrate, microscopically or otherwise, the particular 

 germ, mould, fungus, ferment, or what-not which was held to be the 

 cause, and also to the added inability to prescribe completely effective 

 treatment. If so, it may be well to say here that veterinarv science is in 

 exactly the same position in connexion with this disease on these two points 

 as medical science is in regard to cerebro-spinal meningitis or " spotted 

 fever," a disease of man allied to, or, it may be, identical with, 

 "staggers" in horses. In neither disease has the exact causation been 

 mastered, and, if anything, treatment is somewhat more effective in the 

 equine ailment than in the human. It was an interesting coincidence that 

 while this St. Arnaud affair was on the tapis, the daily cal)les were 

 chronicling extensive fatalities from " spotted fever " in man in various 

 cities of Great Britain ; vet, though the inability of medical science to 

 control its spread might be abundantly inferred, the medical profession 

 at Home had not to suffer any unjustifiable charge of incapacity or 

 scientific backwardness such as was levelled at the veterinary profession 

 here. 



The fact is that, until increased facilities for research in the domain 

 of animal pathology are provided and fostered, stock-owners will have to 

 remain content with the efforts which are at present being made available 

 unto them ; efforts which are, it may be, but partially effective at times, 

 but valuable and honest always. 



In the meantime, it may Ije well to re-publish the following article, 

 which Was written by me for the Pastoralists' Review, July, 1904, and 



