84 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Feb. 



TEXAS CATTLE DISEASE. 

 A convention of American Cattle Commis- 

 sioners was held at Springfield, 111., Dec. 1-3. 

 The Convention represented thirteen States 

 and the Province of Ontario, Can. There 

 were thirty-six commissioners present; Dr. 



E. F. Thayer representing Massachusetts, and 

 Dr. E. M. Snow, Rhode Island, — the only 

 delegates from New England. Hon. Lewis 



F. Allen, of New York, was chosen president, 

 and Dr. Snow one of the Secretaries. 



The opening address was delivered by J. 

 Stanton Gould of New York, who gave the 

 following description of the symptoms of the 

 disease as seen in New York : — 



First, drooping of the head ; a stupid, star- 

 ing eye ; generally rough, staring coat ; usu- 

 ally the urine is almost black ; the gait is stag- 

 gering ; partial paralysis of the hind limbs ; 

 spine generally arched ; frothy drooling from 

 the lips ; sometimes blood in the stools ; bow- 

 els unnatural, sometimes loose, sometimes con- 

 stipated ; occasionally rheum in the eye ; the 

 pulse rapid, often 120 beats in a minute; there 

 is a peculiar odor detected over the flanks of 

 the animal. When two or three of these 

 symptoms are discovered, the introduction of 

 a self-regulating thermometer into the rectum 

 will determine the existence of the disease. 

 If it shows over 103, the disease is proven to 

 exist ; if over 107 there is no hope for the an- 

 imal. 



The principal internal symptoms are a 

 greenish yellow or brownish appearance of the 

 fat and a brownish appearance of the lean ; 

 the liver generally enlarged, and cutting like 

 lard ; the spleen always enlarged and ecchy- 

 mosed ; it has the appearance of mottled cas- 

 tile soap ; the kidneys vary in appearance, but 

 generally are somewhat darker than natural 

 when cut. The third and fourth stomachs are 

 generally inflamed. In the many folds the di- 

 gested food is found hard and dry. In the 

 fourth stomach deep ulcerations are found. 

 The rectum is generally inllamed. The blood 

 is lighter than in health, and under the micro- 

 scope the blood corpuscles are found destroyed, 

 and a very large increase of water is found in 

 the blood. A minute spore, or a cryptogamic 

 plant, of the oidium family is found in the 

 blood. The heart and lungs usually are 

 healthy. The brain is generally softened, and 

 the surface injected with venous blood. Hand- 

 ling the viscera is followed .by smarting of the 

 hands. 



From a summary of the results of this con- 

 vention prepared for the Chicago Tribune we 

 copy the following : — 



"The evidence from all sources, brought 

 before the convention, confirmed the following 

 statements, there being no doubt as to many 



of them: The Texas cattle are not, probably, 

 aifected by the disease in Texas. Cattle taken 

 from the North to the Central and Southern 

 parts of Texas, die of the disease, and a simi- 

 lar disease is common among the horses in 

 Texas. Texas cattle brought north, either by 

 water or rail, or driven on foot may communi- 

 cate the disease to native cattle, but probably 

 proper treatment while on the way would de- 

 crease the danger of such communication. 

 Texas cattle do have the disease, and die 

 from it, in the north, but much more rarely 

 than do native cattle. Old native cattle are 

 much more susceptible to the disease than 

 young ones. Comparatively few suckling 

 calves die from it ; in some cases calves drew 

 milk from the cows until the death of the lat- 

 ter, but still did not take the disease. Unless 

 in very rare instances, the disease has not 

 been communicated to native cattle kept in 

 enclosures in which Texas cattle had not been. 

 Eating where Texas cattle have grazed, drink- 

 ing where they have drank, or at least, pass- 

 ing over the ground where they have been 

 driven, seems necessary to communicate the 

 disease to native cattle, although apparent ex- 

 ceptional cases have been known. There is 

 scarcely a doubt that severe frosts remove 

 danger of communication of the disease, and 

 that after Texas cattle have been wintered in 

 Northern States they will not communicate 

 the disease. In very rare cases, if at all, have 

 native cattle communicated the disease to oth- 

 ers. Generally no evil effects are known to 

 have followed the use of the milk or flesh of 

 the diseased cattle. Rabbits have taken the 

 disease from being fed on the diseased flesh. 

 The disease as seen in New York is of a more 

 aggravated character than in the West. The 

 enlargement of the spleen is, perhaps, the only 

 easily detected internal symptom of the dis- 

 ease which is found in all cases. In all cattle 

 aflTected with this disease a minute fungus, or 

 cryptogamic plant or spores are found in the 

 blood corpuscles, which are disorganized. 

 They are also found to a less extent in the 

 blood of healthy Texas cattle, but are not 

 found in healthy native cattle. Whether they 

 are a cause or effect of the disease is not set- 

 tled. Ticks are found on all cattle with this 

 disease, and on at least a very large propor- 

 tion of the healthy Texas cattle. Scientific 

 men, perhaps without exception, discard the 

 theory that the ticks cause or communicate the 

 disease. No certain cure for the disease has 

 been found. Carbolic acid is highly valuable 

 as a disinfectant or a preventive, and in the 

 treatment of the disease, but it should be used 

 with caution, as injury results from the use of 

 strong solutions." 



The convention proposed to the Legislatures 

 of several Western States a law to regulate 

 the introduction of Texas cattle, and a com- 

 mittee was appointed to ask Congress to order 



