SPERMATOPHYTA—GRAMINEAE— GRASSES 343 



This same disease goes under other names, and it may be that there are 

 several distinct types of diseases due to the feeding of corn stalks. Dr. Bit- 

 ting describes a Septicaemia hemorrhagica which is caused by an organism, 

 the cocco-bacillus. The symptoms of this disease are as follows : 



The symptoms depend upon the point of attack. If the respiratory system be attacked, 

 there will be a rapid rise of temperature, difficult and rapid breathing, standing with the 

 feet wide apart as in pneumonia, short coughing, the tongue protruded, and eyes prominent 

 and congested. The animal will move only when urged to do so The attack lasts for 

 only a few hours. If the pneumonia be of less severe type the kidneys and bowels may 

 show some affection before death. 



If the bowels be the seat of attack, there will be bloating colic, noisy intestinal move- 

 ment, straining and diarrhea. The bowel movements are soft, fluid, and foul smelling, 

 and may be blood stained. The urine will also be blood stained. If the infection take 

 place from a superficial abrasion, the part will swell rapidly, become very large, be hot and 

 painful, does not pit upon pressure, and does not crepitate. The swelling extends rapidly 

 and if in the region of the neck, will cause suffocation. The course is short and generally 

 fatal. 



Dr. Bitting states that this disease must be differentiated from the corn 

 stalk disease due to poisoning and that post mortem must be the means of 

 separation in some instances. The only remedy is a change of pasture, as little 

 can be done otherwise. 



Recently much interest has been attached to the disease known as Pellagra, 

 which has been treated elsewhere in this volume, but in this case it may be of 

 interest to know that the disease has made its appearance in several of the 

 southern states, notably Alabama and South Carolina ; cases have also been 

 reported in Maryland and Massachusetts, and a number of them in the Insane 

 Hospital in Illinois. It is believed by the experts who have investigated this 

 question that it is in some way associated with corn. For instance, Dr. 

 Lavinder who investigated this disease with Assistant Surgeon-general Wyman, 

 cites the case of the disease on the Island of Corfu, where an epidemic followed 

 when the people began to use an inferior imported quality of maize. Previous 

 to this they had used their own maize which was carefully selected and pre- 

 pared. There can be no question according to Lavinder that the introduction 

 of maize collected in Spain, France, and Italy, with unsanitary conditions and 

 the use of poor maize greatly influence the spread of this disease in those 

 countries. It is practically unknown in those countries where maize is not a 

 staple article of food. 



Dr. Arlsberg, of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, in a discussion of 

 this disease before the American Society of Tropical Medicine, states that 

 corn is one-fifth of the food of the Tennessee and Georgia mountaineers and 

 one-third of the food of the negroes. Under the present conditions this corn 

 is collected before maturity and often is shipped to distant points in poorly 

 ventilated cars which makes it possible for moulds of different types to develop. 

 Furthermore, the same person is authority for the statement that, in ten gen- 

 erations the fat content of corn has increased from less than 5% to 7 1/3% 

 and that toxins are found to be related in quantity to the oil produced in the 

 seed. Then, too, the weather conditions in this southern corn region have 

 been extremely favorable in the last ten years for producing corn which would 

 be immature and subject to moulds when transported. 



Now it is a well known fact that for many years throughout the south 

 they have had trouble with the so-called forage poisoning affecting live stock 

 which had been fed corn, especially when mouldy. It seems to the writer that 



