CONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF DOMESTICATED ANIMALS. 97 



hurried examination of the cattle on his place, situated 2^ miles north 

 of Xeosho Falls, in Woodson County. 



I there found 5 animals, out of a herd of 75, affected similarly to those 

 of Keith's and Goodrich's, although only one will lose both hind feet, 

 and a-secoud one one foot. Mr. Beard attributed the origin of the dis- 

 ease among his cattle to the introduction of the cow from Keith's, as 

 before mentioned. As soon as he noticed any evidence of lameness he 

 separated such a one from the rest of his cattle, and thereto attributes 

 the small number affected among his herd. Two recovered from lame- 

 ness after a few days. His cattle were fed on corn in the fodder and 

 wild hay. The cattle drank from the Xeosho River, which supplies 

 good, clear water, and the approach to the drinking" place is a gravelly 

 bottom, free from mud. These cattle possess a timber shelter, with shed 

 and hay-racks, and the feed-lot is sloping and well drained. 



On the 18th I again visited Mr. Beard's place, accompanied by Prof. 

 M. Stalker, of the Iowa State University. Xo new cases had apiieared 

 since my previous visit. Mr. Beard was absent, but we saw Mr. A. W. 

 Orrill, the hired man, who made the following jiositive statement: That 

 he came to Beard's i^lace to work on the 16th of February ; that on 

 the following morning he noticed the old cow to be decidedly lame (this 

 was the first one affected), and that on the 18th he assisted in bringing 

 the cow from Mr. Keith's for which Mr. Beard had traded. 



The Keith cow was the second one to showlameness, which was on the 

 22d. On the 1st of March, the third one ; a day or two later, the fourth one 

 was slobbering profusely at 4 o'clock p. m., and died the next day at 10 a. 

 m. The fifth one became lame on the 5th, and several others manifested 

 slight lameness, but have recovered therefrom. At this visit to Mr. 

 Beard's we examined the feed and hay very closely, endeavoring to find 

 some cause for the appearance of this disease. We found mixed with 

 the hay a large proportion of the wild rye, and found this wild rye to 

 to be extensively ergotized. This discover^^ at once accounted for the 

 gangrenous phase of the disease. We followed up this clue with avidity, 

 and went directly to Keith's and to Goodrich's place, and found the 

 same conditions present among the hay there, but not near so exten. 

 sively as at Beard's. I had examined the hay at Goodrich's several 

 times, but was unfortunate each time in seeing hay in the racks which 

 contained but very small amounts of the ergotized grass. 



On the 14th I separated the Goodrich cattle, placing the well cattle 

 into a field by themselves. I found 18 which had lost both hind feet ; 

 5 had each lost one hind foot; 1 had lost both hind and one fore foot, 

 and 1 was about to lose all four feet ; 40 others were lame in one or more 

 feet. This left 31 well out of the 90 head. No new cases had appeared 

 iu this herd during the time of my stay. 



On this day I left for EI Dorado, Butler County, at the request of 

 Governor Glick, to investigate a disease among cattle said to be exist- 

 ing at or near that place. 

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