CONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF DOMESTICATED ANIMALS. 69 



the legs begiuuing to swell ia a few hours, and iu two days were " as 

 large as the skin could hold." This swelling only extended as high as 

 the hock joint. In about a week the hoofs began to come off; the parts 

 beneath were red, but there was .no formation of pus. The feet were ap- 

 parently healthy between the claws, the appetite good, the eyes bright, 

 and the cud regularly masticated. The animals had been kei»t in a 

 warm stable all winter. At the latter date mentioned four had been 

 killed, their api)etite having finally failed, two more were very bad, " a 

 scab having formed from top of hoof to several inches above ankle and 

 leg rotting oft';'' the foot of one animal had come off at first joint al)ove 

 the hoof, the fore feet of none had been affected but with two the fore- 

 legs were then swelling above the knees. One that had been affected 

 without losing hoofs and had apparently recovered, was taken down a 

 second time. Many people said their feet were frozen, but the owner 

 says they have now changed their minds. He had looked carefully in 

 their mouths for sores but had found none. 



This was undoubtedly ergotism, and was so diagnosed by Dr. Germer, 

 the health officer of Erie, Pa., after the Kansas disease had been attrib^ 

 uted to this cause. 



In recent years several epizootics of ergotism have also been observed 

 in New York by Professor Law, in Iowa by Professor Stalker, and in 

 Colorado by Professor Faville ; and it seems probable that when our 

 veterinarians learn to recognize this disease and to refer it to its proper 

 origin, we shall find that it is not an uncommon affection of cattle. 



TREATMENT AND PREVENTION OF ERGOTISM. 



When the first signs of this disorder ap])ear the most important point 

 to be attended to is to make a complete change of food, and to see that 

 this is of good quality, nutritious, and free from ergot. It would also be 

 proper to give a dose of physic (from one to two pounds of Epsom salts), 

 in order to remove as much as possible of the poison still contained in 

 the digestive organs, and to follow this with soft food, as mashes and 

 roots. In the most severe cases, those in which a part of the limb is al- 

 ready lifeless, treatment will avail but little. The greater number of 

 cases, however, have not advanced to this stage when lameness is first 

 noticed, and these will be greatly benefited by removing the cause, and 

 placing the animal under conditions favorable for resisting the poison. 

 A very important condition is warmth. Even when animals are fed 

 large (piantities of ergot they seldom suffer except in cold weather; and 

 consequently in attempting to check the advance of the disease, advan- 

 tage should be taken of tliis fact by placing the cattle in warm sheds. 



Another condition believed by some to have nuich influence on the de- 

 velopment of ergotism is the water su[»ply. With plenty of water al- 

 ways at hand it is believed that larger quantities of ergot may be taken 

 foralonger time than when the water siipply is deficient. In the cold win- 

 ters which occur over much of our cattle-raising countiv, it is ilifficult 



