No. 4.] REPORT OF CATTLE BUREAU. 321 



Dr. F. S. Billings, when he was connected with the Nebraska 

 University in 1889. It has apparently not been infrequent 

 in the west during the past summer, as the veterinary 

 column of the "Breeders' Gazette" has had a number of 

 inquiries from subscribers, asking what to do for cattle 

 having trouble with the eyes. Dr. Billings speaks of the 

 disease as causing considerable fever; much pain in the 

 eyes, apparently ; a loss of appetite ; and a slirinking in 

 the quantity of milk given, where it attacks milch cows. 



The cases observed in Massachusetts during the past sum- 

 mer do not seem to have caused the animals any trouble 

 beyond weakness of the eyes, and blindness in bad cases 

 where both eyes were affected. The appetite seemed to be 

 good, and there was little or no diminution in the quantity 

 of milk given l)y the cows which had the disease. Most of 

 the animals had it in one eye. The eye appeared weak, 

 tears running from it, and the cornea was cloudy and 

 opaque. In very bad cases the anterior chamber appeared 

 to be yellow, as though containing pus, and occasionally 

 the cornea would become ulcerated. 



It did not seem to be a disease that was sufficiently seri- 

 ous to call for quarantine measures. The treatment indi- 

 cated is to keep animals affected in a dark stable while the 

 attack lasts, bathing the ej^es twice a day with a saturated 

 solution of boric acid in warm water. It is better to use 

 absorbent cotton, Avhich can be tlirown away and burned, 

 using a different bit for each animal, rather than to use a 

 sponge, which may be unclean and contain all kinds of 

 germs. When the cornea is ulcerated, powdered boric 

 acid, two parts with one part of calomel mixed together, 

 may be blown onto the ulcerated surface once or twice a 

 day. In most of the cases where this trouble occurred it is 

 not likely that the owners took even as much pains with the 

 animals as has been reconmicndcd above. 



At the time of the outbn^ak of contagious ophthalmia the 

 following letter was written to fhe Attorney-General, not 

 altogether to find out what authority the Chief of the Cattle 

 Bureau had in this particular outbreak, which did not seem 

 to call for any special interference from him, but more with 



