454 REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



The bladder was distended with bloody urine, and its mucous membrane some- 

 what congested. On removing the diaphragm I cut the post vena cava and thin red 

 blood escaped, which formed a clot resembling red-currant jelly, and was so tena- 

 cious that you could take it up and let it fall and it would still retain its consistency. 

 In handling it would leave no stain on your hands. The lung's were in some parts 

 slightly emphysematous, and several portions were affected with hypostatic pneu- 

 monia. The pleura costalis was slightly congested, the heart was of an enormous size, 

 and the pericardium covered with petecchise, and on section it was normal. The fat 

 around tne heart was of the same yellow color. 



2, Autopsy at Breen's ranch. A four-year-old cow, temperature 104 F., was 

 blowing heavily and frothing at the nostrils and mouth. She was unable to rise, 

 and being in the agony of death was destroyed by severing the spinal cord. The 

 same appearances were present as in autopsy No. 1, except the spleen was much 

 larger, being 24 inches long and 16 inches in circumference, and the four compart- 

 ments of the stomach were healthy, especially the third and fourth, which were full 

 of food. The kidneys were healthy and the urine was not bloody, but of a natural 

 color. The liver was greatly enlarged, and the gall-bladder as well, which, on sec- 

 tion, was full of dark-green, thick, inspissated gall. The lungs were slightly em- 

 physematous, and the bronchial tubes full of frptny mucus. The heart was healthy 

 externally, but the endocardium was studded with straw-colored excrescences. The 

 blood in this case was even more coagiilable than in No. 1. The coverglass speci- 

 mens of the spleen of these two animals failed to show, when examined microscop- 

 ically under A Cronch lens and stained with an alcoholic solution of methyl blue 

 and methyl violet, any signs of the Bacillus anthracis, a result I fully expected as 

 soon as I opened the first animal and saw the condition of the blood. One would 

 judge from the post-mortem appearances that the above-mentioned animal died 

 from the effects of splenic or Texas fever, but as the history of the outbreak has 

 not yet been thoroughly investigated, and as further autopsies are to be made, it 

 would be premature to offer a final opinion. 



3. Autopsy at Soledad. Three-year-old steer, the property of Mr. Victor. This 

 steer was well in the morning according to the cowboy, but was dead in the even- 

 ing. It was opened the following morning. Found post-mortem lesions similar to 

 those at the Breen ranch. The blood was of a bright red color and very coagulable. 

 The spleen was of an enormous size, about 26 inches long and very much disinte- 

 grated. The liver was also greatly enlarged, and the color was the same as found 

 in Breen's cattle. The kidneys were somewhat congested, but as the animal was 

 dead so long this might have been due to post-mortem staining. The lungs were 

 emphysematous, accompanied with hypostatic pneumonia,. The intestines were 

 normal. In .this case the omasum was not impacted, but the abomasum had its 

 mucous membrane congested. The bladder was full of bloody urine. Coverglass 

 specimens from the spleen stained as before did not reveal the Bacillus anthracis, 

 but numerous Bactcnum termo. Considering these three autopsies, .made on the 

 most recently diseased animals in the course of investigation, as well as the his- 

 tory acquired at Soledad, I have no hesitation in pronouncing the disease as splenic 

 or Texas fever. 



4, Autopsy at Coburn's ranch. The first animal was a two-year-old steer suffer- 

 ing from osteosarcoma, big-jaw, or actinomycosis. The part affected was the 

 right ramus of the lower jaw. It was distended to a great extent, and the mouth 

 was twisted to one side. The animal was killed by permission of the owner, and an 

 examination made resulted as follows: 



Right ramus of lower jaw, weighing 10 pounds, was found honey-combed, and 

 the openings full of detritus and pus of a thick ropy consistency, somewhat caseous. 

 The teeth were loose in the jaw, and the posterior molars fell out. I next exam- 

 ined the lungs, and in the right, which was slightly hepatized, I found two small 

 miliary tubercles, evidently due to the actinomycosis fungus, as coverglass specimens 

 of the 'caseous matter from the jaw, when stained with alum-carmine, revealed the 

 presence of those fungi in great numbers. All the other organs were in an appar- 

 ently healthy condition, except the mucous membrane of the abomasum, which 

 was highly congested, indicative of gastritis. Thirteen animals on this place were 

 affected in a like manner. 



5. Autopsy at Coburn's ranch. A long yearling heifer was driven in, blowing 

 considerably and with a peculiar cough. Caught her with a rope, and took tem- 

 perature, finding it to be 104 F. Percussion of the chest revealed the following: 

 Patches of consolidation studded here and there over the surface of the lung, and 

 both lungs affected, the right being the worse. Diagnosed as tuberculosis, due to 

 either the Bacillus tubercidesis or the actinomycosis fungus. I advised the owner to 

 destroy the animal, which he did. On opening the thoracic cavity the following con- 

 dition of the lungs was found: Pleuro-pulmonaria of right lung adherent in four 

 places to the pleura costalis of same side. This was more or less broncho-pneuino- 



