REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 487 







Horn, while I was at his place, and by letters written to Mr. Horn by reliable parties 

 in Arkansas, who, at the request of Mr. Horn called on the premises of Mr. Emon- 

 son, attended to the sick cattle, and made post-mortem examinations there. 



Mr. Horn says that he went to Carlisle on learning of the first appearance of dis- 

 ease there: that he was then informed that these cows were fed largely on whole 

 cotton-seed and hay; that the dung passed by the cows was of a peculiar black 

 color, and that he at once insisted that they should be given no more cotton-seed, 

 but instead thereof have ground corn, oats, and bran; that a veterinary surgeon 

 should be employed, and that such a one by the name of Smith, from Memphis, 

 Tenn.,came there, prescribed treatment, and advised discontinuance of cotton-seed 

 feeding, but feared the change of feeding was rather late, as more cows were sick, 

 or dying. The said veterinary surgeon was also present and made post-mortem 

 examination of the 2 cows that died first, and he told Mr. Horn that he found the 

 lungs and liver congested, and also impaction of the manifold stomach. 



As the said Mr. Smith could not remain, nor return again to Carlisle, Mr. Horn had 

 an experienced stockman, named D. A. Phipp, of Stuttgart, Ark. , go to Carlisle and 

 attend to the increasing number of sick Holstein cows. Although Mr. Emonson 

 had promised Mr. Horn that no more cotton-seed should be fed to these cows, Mr. 

 Phipp, in a letter to Mr. Horn, dated Stuttgart, Ark., April 9, 1887, says that he 

 " found cotton-seed mixed with bran and salt before the cattle, and at once forbid 

 feeding any more cotton-seed. Found 6 of the cows affected in the lungs and 

 purging; blistered them heavily and gave fever medicines. Opened 5 dead cows 

 and found them as expected." 



Dr. Buerkle, a physician of Stuttgart, Ark., who was also present at Carlisle, and 

 together with Mr. Phipp performed the post-mortem examinations, writes in a letter 

 to Mr. Horn, dated Stuttgart, Ark., April 13, 1887: " I am satisfied that the disease of 

 the cows was caused by mismanagement and feeding on cotton-seed, the only thing 

 they were fed outside of hay. I examined the dead cows, and found a general in- 

 flammation of all the vital organs. In two cases we found, besides pleuro-pneu- 

 monia, inflammation of the stomachs, bowels, liver, etc. In another dead cow I found 

 pneumonia and inflammation of other vital organs." In the same letter, Dr. Buerkle 

 further says: " There is a great mistake made by the public in regard to the word 

 ' pleuro-pneumpnia. ' Most of the people think that the aforesaid sickness is just the 

 same as contagious lung plague, or what we Germans call Lungenseuclie. The rea- 

 son I called the cause of death of these cows pleuro-pneumonia, in connection with 

 general inflammation was, that both lungs were inflamed, and the membrane invest- 

 ing or inclosing the lungs was also inflamed; that is what we would term pleuro- 

 pneumonia; but the rest of the important organs of the body, being in the same in- 

 flamed condition, satisfied me that the Emonson Mining and Milling Company are 

 to blame for the loss." 



It is scarcely possible that Mr. Emonson and the persons in his employ did not 

 know of the existence of ail of the above stated conditions of the cattle, and the 

 main cause thereof. The range is located only 6 miles from Carlisle, and I am in- 

 formed that Mr. Emonson visited the place frequently, in fact, that he directs all 

 operations there. Why all this information was withheld from me, after my re- 

 peated solicitations as to possible causes and conditions existing before my arrival, 

 may, perhaps, be conjectured as due to the fact that Mr. Emonson had not paid his 

 half interest in these cattle, and, in fact, since the death of 8 of the number he has 

 returned, unsigned, to Mr. Horn, the two notes, respectively giving one and two 

 years' time for payment. Still, Mr. Emonson, and the people at Carlisle, Ark., 

 affect surprise and disappointment because I could not or would not then and 

 there state some cause of the trouble, and give a name to the ailment of the cows 

 pleuro-pneumonia being seemingly no objection. 



FATAL DISEASE AMONG SWINE. 



In January, 1887, Dr. N. H. Paaren, an inspector of the Bureau 

 of Animal Industry, was directed to proceed to Cerro Gordo and ad- 

 joining counties in northern Iowa and determine, if possible, the 

 nature of a very fatal disease prevailing among hogs in that local- 

 ity. After as thorough an investigation as could be made during- 

 that season of the year, he reported as follows to the Department, 

 under date of February 2: 



The disease from, which the hogs have been affected in northern Iowa, has pre- 

 vailed during the fall and winter of 1885-'86, and the fall and winter of 188G-'87, 



