34 AGRICULTUEAL REPORT. 



in Cass County lost seven that had contracted the disease b^- beinj;: 

 shipped from Kansas iu cars in which Texas cattle had been carried. 

 In Scott County several deaths from " Spanish fever" are reported. 

 In Taney County, Missouri, twelve animals Avere attacked with splenic 

 fever ; ouly oue recovered. The disease has existed iu Kausas more thau 

 elsewhere, on account of exposure to cattle from Texas. In the north- 

 eastern part of Sedjjwick County, where Texas cattle were pastured to 

 the utmost capacity of the " range," mauy of the.native cattle died. In 

 other portions of the county, in vrhich Texas cattle also ranged, the loss 

 was smalL Ouly native cattle were attacked, the improved breeds suf- 

 fering most, and the scrubs least. In the southern part of ]!^cosho, 

 where Texas cattle were pastured, native cattle took the disease merely 

 by crossing the track of the Texas. In Morris the loss by splenic fever 

 was 25 per cent. ; some farmers lost all their native stock. The loss in 

 Marion is estimated at 100 per cent. The loss in Lyons is placed at 5 

 per cent. ; in Montgomery, 10 per cent., but nO case occurred among 

 cattle in inclosures; in Allen one hundred head; in Labette, w^hei-o the 

 stringent law against the movement of Texas cattle was evaded by 

 driving across the border at night, many cattle in the vicinity of their 

 trail were attacked, and three-lburth.s of the number died. In Dickin- 

 son and "Washington several cases occurred. A drove of Texans passed 

 through the southeastern part of Woodson in August, and in about two 

 weeks the disease broke out among the native cattle with fatal effect. 

 The following is an account of the breaking out of this disease in a high 

 latitude : 



Fovt EaiidaU, Todd Cotnifi;, JJaloia. — An outbreak of '''splenic or periodic fever" 

 among beef-cattle, tabout two buudred bead,) at tbis post, commenced iu May, 1871, 

 wbeu ten deatbs occurred; iu Jiuie, six ; iu Julj', teu ; in August, twenty-tv/o; and in 

 September, tbrce. Tbe epidemic reacbed its acme about tbe middle of July. Tbe total 

 number of deatbe, in two buudred bead of cattle, was tifty-one. Mode of invasion, 

 rapidity of course of disease, and deatb occurring at an early period, togetber witli 

 j)ost-mortcm appearances, prove conclusively tbat it was " sidenic fever," tbo afiectiou 

 described bj'' Professor Jobn Gamgee, in report of tbe Agricultural Department. It ie 

 bigbly probable tbat tbe cattle arriving bere iu two ditferent lots have bad tbe disease 

 communicated to tbem by passing over, or baviug been berded in, sections of countrj' 

 previously traveled over by droves of Texas cattle en route to supply tbo various Indian 

 agencies along tbe Missouri River. 



The disease is reported by correspondents in Benton, Prairie, and 

 Independence Counties, Arkansas. 



Independence County, JrJcansas. — Spanisb fcA'^er bas not been seen for tbreo years past — 

 that is, since tbo law was passed prohibiting tbe passage of Texas cattle tbrougb tbe 

 State— until last June, when live wagons from Texas, drawn by twenty yoke of oxen, 

 passed northward on one of our princijjal roads, camping a day or two iu a place, and 

 their cattle allowed to graze near the road ; and, strange as it may seem, fever attacked 

 oTir own cattle at each of these campiug places within tbis county, and probably one 

 hundred of these cases proved fatal. Thoi^ iu iiastures, having no access to these places, 

 were not attacked. The infection seemed to lose its intlnence in about thirty days after 

 tbe passage of tbe Texas oxen. I am not able to give the actual loss in tbis county at 

 tbat time. It was probably between oue hundred and oue hundred and iifty bead. 



Several cases are reported in Nemaha, Nebraska ; and heavy losses 

 in Santa Clara, California, are imputed to splenic fever, but the facts 

 are not sufficient to identify the disease. 



Pleuro-jmeiimonia. — A dozen cases of this disease have occurred in 

 Ocean County, New Jersey. It was treated by bleeding, blistering, the 

 use of carbolic acid about the stalls, of aperients, and diaphoretics. In 

 Burlington County the county agricultural society, at its annual meet- 

 ing, appointed a committee to urge the State legislature to devise 

 measures for the extermination of the disease, which had a foot-hold iu 



