EEPOET OF THE BUKEATJ OF ANIMAL ESDUSTRY. 



The most frequent effects of corn smut are indigestion and impaction of the 

 stomachs. I have never been able to trace sore feet, stiff joints, or abortion to feed- 

 ing on corn smut. I have no facts bearing on the effects of oat smut, though this 

 is similar to the smut of corn. 



In September, 1888, a disease supposed to be ergotism was reported 

 as prevailing among horses and cattle in Pine County, Minn., and 

 the Department was requested to send a veterinarian to the locality 

 of the outbreak to make an investigation and give such advice as 

 the nature of the disease might call for. Dr. Bower Talbot, of Gales- 

 burgh, 111., was directed to make the examination. The results of his 

 investigation into the cause of the outbreak are given in the follow- 

 ing report, bearing date of September 24: 



According to your request, conveyed to me by telegram on the 15th instant, I took 

 as early a train as possible from here for Red Wing, Minn., to the office of Dr. C. N. 

 Hewitt, secretary of State board of health. After a consultation with Dr. Hewitt 

 as to the quickest and best way to reach the locality where cattle and horses were 

 supposed to be suffering from ergotism, I took the earliest train for St. Paul, and 

 from there to Rush City, Pine County, Minn. From this place I drove to the house 

 of Mr. George Doremus, and made known to him my mission. He very kindly 

 consented to accompany me to the different farms where cattle were known to be 

 sick. 



After visiting about fourteen different farms and carefully examining the cattle 

 and horses, I failed to find ergotism or any contagious or fatal disease, but I found 

 that both cattle and horses had been suffering from some vesicating agent in their 

 food, grasses, etc. , on the low woodland' pastures. None had in the least degree suf- 

 fered on tame grasses on upland pastures; neither could I trace any fresh cases 

 occurring after the 13th instant. I may here mention they had in Pine County, on 

 the night of the 12th instant, a very heavy frost, destroying vegetation to a very 

 considerable extent. 



Cattle when first taken sick commenced to show considerable saliva, which grad- 

 ually increased in quantity, followed by a smacking of the lips; the tongue in a few 

 hours commenced to swell, and in consequence of the inflammatory action they 

 were unable to eat anything. I found no constitutional disturbance, neither could 

 I learn that any had been shown. No diarrhea, or lameness in either fore or hind 

 feet, or ulceration in any of the different parts of the body. About forty-eight hours 

 after the first symptoms were noticed the mucous membrane of the tongue, and in 

 some instances roof of the mouth and lips, commenced to slough off, leaving the 

 more sensitive parts bare but in, a healthy condition; no signs of ulcers were shown. 

 In a few days these parts became less swollen, the pain left, and the animals com- 

 menced to eat as though nothing had occurred. The quantity of milk was but little 

 diminished. It had no bad smell or characteristic signs of being in any way affected, 

 and although the maiority did not use the milk for family use, they gave it to the 

 young stock without bad results. 



Horses when first taken showed very similar symptoms, excepting the lips and 

 nose commenced swelling very considerably, and far in extent to that shown on the 

 lips of cattle. After about fourteen hours' small busters would show themselves on 

 the outer surface, which were soon covered with a yellow crust, and on the follow- 

 ing day blisters showed themselves on the inner side of lips, gums, etc. Boon after- 

 wards the mucous membrane commenced to slough off, leaving the same healthy 

 appearance as in cattle, the animal recovering in about the same time ten days. 



These animals, as I have previously stated, were all pastured on low woodland 

 pastures. Not a single Instance of disease could I trace where cattle and horses 

 were pastured on tame cultivated grasses, or had been kept on different feed. 



Whether this trouble was caused from fungi or not I am not able to state, but I 

 am very confident the food was the sole cause of it all, for when the affected ani- 

 mals were taken off these pastures, and placed either in stables or on tame grasses, 

 the disease disappeared almost spontaneously. 



I can account for horses showing blisters on the outside of the lips, nose, etc., and 



cattle not doing so from the fact that when feeding cattle always have much more 



.saliva on the lips, and frequently lick their nose, lips, etc., consequently they take 



* the vesicating agent off those parts into the mouth, and the sloughing of the mucous 



membrane was on an average greater (more extensive) than in horses. 



What makes me more certain that the food was the cause of this trouble is that 

 after the first real heavy frost no new cases appeared. From this it would seem 

 very clear that the frost destroyed the germ of the fungi or other cause. 



