544 Veterinary Medicine. 



infection waiting for them in the uncultivated bottoms. In 

 America it doubtless prevailed on the seaboard and islands of 

 the Gulf of Mexico from the time of the importation of Spanish 

 cattle, but for the first definite account of it we are indebted to 

 Dr. James Pease, who records the widespread destruction of the 

 native herds in Lancaster, Co., Penn., in connection with the in- 

 troduction of cattle from the south. None of the southern cattle 

 died, but wherever they traveled, the native stock perished all 

 but universally. Other droves from South Carolina were equally 

 destructive to all cattle along their track. The recorded symp- 

 toms of anorexia, great weakness, often inability to stand, trem- 

 bling, groaning, bloody urine, bleeding from the nose, costiveness, 

 congested kidneys, and decomposed, incoagulable blood serve to 

 identify the disease. 



Later, whenever southern cattle were moved north, the disease 

 followed their trail. Florida cattle left infection along their 

 route until they reached the border of Virginia, where it usually 

 ceased. When taken from the Georgia mountains to the low- 

 lands, they died without infecting the native stock, and, when 

 such native stock of the lowlands were moved to the hills or the 

 north, they conveyed the fever to the stock among which they 

 came, though themselves well and improving all the time 

 (Wilkinson). Similar experiences were had in all the middle 

 states up to the war of 1861 , but, in too many cases, the real source 

 of infection was overlooked. It was observed that the disease 

 was confined to the vicinity of the main highways and drove 

 roads running north, and spared the lands lying somewhat back 

 of these routes. Attention was drawn to the Texas cattle in 

 1853 when a herd of 450 which had wintered in Jasper Co., Mo. 

 moved north passing through Vernon Co. in June, and causing 

 losses of 50 to 90 per cent, of the native cattle along their course, 

 and only along that line. Such invasions occurred yearly, and in 

 1858 $200,000 worth of native cattle perished from this cause in 

 Vernon Co. alone (A. Badger). During the war (1861-64) the 

 cattle, in Texas especially, encreased without meeting with an 

 adequate market, and, on the opening of the trade once more, 

 they were sent north in large numbers carrying infection with 

 them. When Forts Smith and Gibson had been occupied by the 

 Union soldiers, the southern cattle poured in along the military 



