352 CORNSTALK DISEASE 



Mississippi Valley. It is believed that there are exceptions to 

 this and that rarely cattle die from its effects in the eastern 

 part of the country. 



^ 273. Etiology. The definite cause of this disease has 

 not been determined. It has been .shown, however, that the 

 former theories respecting salt, water and the bacillus of the 

 Burrill disease of cornstalks are not substantiated. The 

 hypothesis that the cau.se rests in the cornstalks themselves 

 seems to be the most tenable. It is well known that cattle 

 rarely if ever die from eating cornstalks in moderate quanti- 

 ties. However, the results of such investigations as have been 

 made point as the cause to an intoxication from an excessive 

 quantity of one or more elements existing in the cornstalks 

 themselves. 



§ 274. Symptoms. The insidious nature and rapid 

 course of the disease usually results in the death of the animal 

 before its presence is detected. In a few instances, however, 

 the sick animals have been observed very carefully by their 

 owners from whom all of our knowledge of the symptoms is 

 obtained. One owner found a steer lying dow^n and unable to 

 rise. His head was extended, resting on the ground and 

 moving continually from side to side ; this was kept up for 

 several hours, when he died. In the second case a steer was 

 found to remain behind the other animals when they were 

 driven to water about 11 a. isr. At 3 p. m. he was found in a 

 dying condition. 



Another man reported that he found his animals apparently 

 well at 5 A. M. At 7 A. M. a heifer was found resting squarely 

 upon her knees, the head extended and resting upon the ground. 

 She was frothing at the mouth and groaning as if in great 

 distress. She died in about two hours. 



Another report states that the sick animals were dull, 

 exhibited great weakness and walked with a peculiar jerky 

 movement of the hind legs. The animals trembled as if suffer- 

 ing from a chill. In a short time they fell dowm and appeared 

 to be in great distress, heads moving continually backward 

 and forward. A fourth owner observed a sick animal trembling 

 violently for about two hours before it died. 



