120 Bulletin No. 208. 



from which the ensilage was made was grown on bottom land 

 adjoining the Ohio River. This field was subject to frequent 

 inundations in the early spring. The silo was of concrete con- 

 struction without a permanent cover and approximately one- 

 third of the ensilage had been fed from the silo before the mules 

 were stricken. The ear corn was a white variety and was 

 husked from the standing stalks and stored in a slatted corn 

 crib. The oat hay was cut and cured like a clover or timothy 

 hay before being placed in the barn. The ear corn and oat hay 

 were grown on land of higher elevation than the siloed corn. 



Dr. T. L. Breeck, of Carrollton, administered purgative 

 and stimulative treatment daily to all the mules on the farm 

 from the time the disease appeared. The symptoms observed 

 in several mules consisted of muscular incoordination, weak- 

 ness, depression, loss of appetite, paresis of the pharynx, de- 

 cumbency, salivation, accompanied by normal temperature. 

 When the first symptoms were noted the feeding of the ensi- 

 lage, ear corn and oat hay was immediately discontinued. One 

 of the mules remained permanently decumbent and died in ap- 

 proximately 20 hours. The remainder of the affected animals 

 recuperated slowly and recovered their normal condition, with 

 the exception of an awkward and unsteady gait which could be 

 observed in three animals for approximately six weeks. 



In order to duplicate natural conditions and establish the 

 feed involved, if possible, three experimental horses were de- 

 livered to the premises. Beginning January 14th, 1917, horse 

 No. 1, a brown gelding approximately 12 years old, was given 

 daily maintenance rations of the ensilage exclusively ; horse No. 

 2, a black gelding approximately 15 years old, the oat hay ex- 

 clusively ; and horse No. 3, a bay gelding approximately 10 years 

 old, the ear corn exclusively. The three animals had free access 

 to water which was the source of supply for the forty mules. 

 All of the horses, previously to being used in this experiment, 

 were apparently healthy and in medium flesh. On January 27th 

 horse No. 1 was decumbent and died the following day: ' Clin- 

 ical forage poisoning was observed in this animal by Dr. Breeck. 

 Autopsy^ was riot conducted. Horses No. 2 and No. 3 continued 



