182 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Kentucky. &quot; The Spanish fever was introduced into this county (Oldham) in June last 

 by cattle brought from Texas by parties to sell to grazers. I have not seen any of the 

 diseased cattle this season. The number that died did not exceed fifty head, as the Texas 

 cattle only passed through one corner of the county. The 24th day of June, 1860, there 

 were driven on my farm, to stay over night, about fifty head of Texas cattle. Some forty 

 days after they left, about the 18th of August, the disease broke out among my milch 

 cows and heifers and work cattle. I lost fourteen head, worth seven to eight hun 

 dred dollars. At the same time I was grazing a lot of large fat cattle for one of my 

 neighbors about sixty head; out of the number eleven head died, valued about the same 

 as my own. This was the first appearance of the disease in this State. I tried all the 

 remedies I could think of. Some of the diseased ones recovered, though I will not say what 

 remedy reached the disease. Work oxen that crossed the road traveled by these cattle took 

 the disease and died. In the last stages of the disease greenish and yellow matter exudes 

 from the nose. The animal will live, in some cases, ten or twelve days after being attacked. 

 This county has not been entirely free from the disease in the last ten years. Almost 

 every farmer has a remedy of his own. I have had the disease in my herd twice; the 

 first time I lost one hundred and fifty nearly all I hail. &quot;Last summer my son bought 

 at auction, in Lexington, (Fayette,) twenty-four Kentucky raised cattle. Shortly after the 

 purchase five of the cattle were taken sick, four of which died. It was ascertained that 

 these five cattle had been driven along the road over which some Texas cattle had traveled. 

 The former had been given green corn, and the one that eat freely of it recovered. They 

 were all taken sick the same day, and the four died the second and third days after. None 

 of the other cattle were affected, though all were in the same pasture. It is a well-known 

 fact that Kentucky cattle pastured with, or shortly after Texas cattle, or driven along the 

 road after them, will take this fever. Tt is believed, however, that it is never taken 

 from the native stock. The Texas fever had been very destructive in the neighborhood 

 from which these five cattle were driven from Lexington/ 



Illinois. &quot;In the southern part of this county (Perry) Spanish fever appeared in July 

 last, among cattle that were pastured on ground that had been previously occupied by a drove 

 of Texas cattle. The loss was about seventy head. Various remedies were tried, but 

 none of them were effectual. I understood that all the cattle were attacked with the dis 

 ease that followed the Texas cattle in the pasture, and that all that were attacked died. 

 It appears also that the Texas cattle, while feeding in the pasture, had no appearance of 

 disease.&quot; 



The losses had now become so heavy in Missouri and Kansas, notwithstanding 

 repressive State enactments and organized violent opposition to the cattle movement which 

 had proved an effective bar to the malady in certain instances of vigorous enforcement, that 

 Congress was formally called upon for aid in a scientific investigation. The Commissioner, 

 of Agriculture, in calling the attention of Congress to the following resolution of the Leg 

 islature of Kansas, reported progress in his efforts to obtain the actual facts relative to this 

 singular and fatal disease, which he feared might &quot;result in great loss to the people of 

 Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, and possibly to those of other States, if Texas cattle should 

 be allowed unrestricted range through them:&quot; 



&quot;Whereas there annually prevails a contagious disease among the cattle of this and 

 adjoining States, commonly known as Spanish fever, destroying large numbers, thereby 



