114 THE LUNG PLAGUE OF CATTLE. 



doubt of its being a case of pneumonia. If there are any more sick, will send the lu u^s 

 to you." 



And the letter dated August 4, says : " We have just returned from pasture, where 

 we have buried another heifer, being the fifth out of the herd. The fourth was buried 

 Friday, and at that time the rest seemed all right. The pasture is five miles awav. 

 and circumstances were such that I did not visit the pasture in time to make an ex- 

 amination, and to have sent you the lungs as requested. I will telegraph, and would 

 like you to come up and see the animal, provided it can be done without any expense 

 to rue." 



August 20 received a telegram, " Another animal sick." August 23 went to East 

 Kingo. On arriving at the pasture found the heifer, seen to be sick on Friday, already 

 dead. Had probably died on Saturday, as the pasture was visited on Monday, and it 

 Avas then dead. The lungs were removed and found to be free from disease. I was 

 unable to discover any disease of the abdominal viscera. Putrefaction had com- 

 menced. 



The remainder of the herd, six in number, were found and driven into a corner. 

 On inspection one appeared quite ill, head drooping, hair standing on end, pulse 

 feeble, respiration hurried, but not more than was to be expected after being driven 

 a considerable distance ; temperature, 106 Fahr. Auscultation and percussion gave 

 no evidence of pulmonary trouble. I so informed the owner, but to satisfy himself 

 he decided to kill the animal. 



Autopsy. The removal of the lungs justified my decision. On removal of the heart 

 the duplicature of the pericardium showed extravasated blood, irregular in outline, 

 covering perhaps a square inch. On removing the skin over the tractea and sterno- 

 maxillary muscles, several spots of extravasated blood were found. The abdominal 

 organs, with the exception of the bladder, appeared to be healthy. The stomach 

 and intestines contained less than the usual quantity found in healthy animals. About 

 one-third of the mucous membrane of the bladder was of a bright-red color. 



I was unable to find any evidence of disease other than the above-mentioned. 

 I advised the removal of the remainder of the herd to other pastures. I met a mem- 

 ber of the family in Boston a few days ago, who informed rue that they were removed, 

 but that all had died excepting one. 



E. F. THAYER. 



DR. THAYER'S REPORT ON CATTLE DISEASE AT PICTOU, NOVA SCOTIA. 



WEST NEWTON, August , 1880. 



SIR : Your letter dated July 14, Avith a copy of a dispatch received from the consul- 

 general of Halifax, also a dispatch from the consul at Pictou, reporting the reappear- 

 ance of a contagious cattle disease, Avas received the l(5th. In compliance Avith your 

 instructions I left Boston for Halifax on the 19th, arriving there at 10 a. m. the 21st 

 instant. I at once called at the office of Consul-General Jackson, who informed me 

 that he had not received any further information in relation to the disease in Pictou 

 County since the date of his communication to the department at Washington. I 

 then left Halifax for Pictou, arriving there at 1.15p. ni. The consul, Oscar Malmros, 

 met me at the landing and accompanied me to the hotel, Avhere Ave met the chairman 

 of the board of agriculture andseA-eral others interested in the subject, among whom 

 Avas one Avho had suffered seA T erely from the disease. His statement is substantially 

 as follows : 



One of his neighbor's cattle were sick ; a cow affected Avith the disease became de- 

 lirious, escaped, and ran upon the highway and died near the premises. The body 

 was allowed to remain there until putrefaction took place. In. a short time his cattle 

 became sick and all died, and he ascribes the cause of the sickness in his herd to ex- 

 posure to the exhalations from the putrefying body of the dead cow. This occurred 

 about sixteen years ago, and the disease has prevailed in that locality to the present 

 time. 



On Saturday, the 23d, in company Avith the chairman of the board of agriculture, 

 we visited several infected farms. The first animal examined was reported sick this 

 morning. She Avas standing quietly, the eyes appeared dull, the coat (hair) had an 

 unthrifty appearance, the respiration Avas normal, pulse 60, temperature 101 Fahr., the 

 discharges from the bowels rather soft, little or no appetite, and the secretion of milk 

 very much diminished. 



It was stated that the milk had a very offensive odor, resembling the smell of ex- 

 crement mixed Avith milk, but I Avas unable to detect it. The symptoms Avere those 

 often seen in practice, and where the diagnosis would be functional derangement of 

 the digestive organs. 



The next animal examined was a cow belonging to a Mr. Deumond, whose farm 

 was a mile distant from the above. The animal Avas standing with disinclination to 



