1G4 



be ascertained. In Titus, TJexas, a singular and incurable malady was 

 observable for the first time. The sj-mptonis were loss of sight, stupor, 

 loss of power to void urine, skin thick, with some eruption on the belly 

 and behind the shoulders, great thirst, hacking cougli, constipation, and 

 a general tremor throughout the system. In Columbia, Wisconsin, 

 horses were attacked with spellings at the root of the tongue, discharg- 

 ing great quantities of matter. But one death had eeu known to re- 

 sult from tl^e disease. 



Diseases of cattle. — From our April reports it is evident that 

 during 1874 no general causes of epizootic or prevailing forms of dis- 

 ease were operative in the country, and that where only very ordinary 

 care in regard to food and shelter was exercised the casualties were very 

 few. Even the long severe winter has given rise to comparatively few 

 complaints as to diseases caused by the depressed vitality of farm ani- 

 mals. The greatest prevalence of disease is found in the Gulf States, 

 where the winter is the shortest. In the New England, Middle, and 

 South Atlantic Coast States the exceptions to general healthfulness are 

 ueither numerous nor of serious import. In the inland Southern States, 

 in the West, iSorthwest, and Pacific States scarcely any forms of " pre- 

 valent" disease are noted. The cases mentioned in the following gen- 

 eralization are mostly sporadic and dependent upon local conditions. 

 Among these, neglect of food and shelter is prominent. 



Texas Jever. — This malady is heard of from points farther east than 

 last year. A few cases, mostly fatal, were noted in Litchfield, Connec- 

 ticut, and Schenectady, New York, caused by the importation of Texas 

 cattle from the West. Traces of the same malady are found also in Mc- 

 Nairy, Tennessee, Boone, Kentucky, Carroll, Illinois, Cass, Missouri, 

 and Furnas, Nebraska. The losses were much less numerous than 

 last year and the disease showed itself at fewer points. 



Murrain: — Until some authoritative exposition of cattle diseases shall 

 have been given, embracing the local facts of all parts of the country, 

 statistical inquiry is compelled to tolerate the unmeaning term murrain, 

 which, with its variations, bloody murrain and dry murrain, is used to 

 designate very diverse forms of disease. It is often used to indicate 

 some new or startling types upon their introduction merely from the 

 fact that no other term is suggested. The farmers of Oxford County, 

 Maine, have been startled by some strange symptoms supposed to 

 characterize the dreaded murrain of the West. Gradually this supposi- 

 tion will harden into a popular belief, and another local elementof confusion 

 will be introduced into the nomenclature of cattle disease. A disease 

 by this name to a considerable extent atfected the cattle in Floyd County, 

 Virginia, and was noticed also in Burke and Stokes, North Carolina, 

 and in Henry, Catoosa, Whitfield, and Walker, Georgia. Dooly gives a 

 partial description of the malady there known as " bloody murrain " — 

 swelling tongue and glands and frequent bloody discharges from the 

 bowels, tt is declared to be not contagious. Murrain is also reported 

 in Lawrence, Alabama, and in Pike, Wayne, and Tishemingo, Missis- 

 sippi ; in Amite it swept 25 per cent, of the cattle. It is noted in How- 

 ard, Sebastian and Arkansas Counties, Arkansas. A few died in Sauk, 

 Wisconsin. Bloody murrain is reported to a small extent in Saginaw, 

 Michigan and Linn, Oregon. In the last three cases these are the only 

 cases of disease reported in those States. 



Black-leg. — This disease, which is present in all portions of the United 

 States, is occasionally so prevalent as to call for special local mention. It 

 made a serious havoc among calves in Pendleton County, West Vir- 

 ginia, last year, during the past winter attacking older cattle, from two 



