100 



FARMERS CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



mediately and burned or deeply and 

 carefully buried. In most states tbe 

 State Veterinarian is empowered to 

 carry out these measures and it has been 

 necessary to do so on account of the 

 rapid spread of glanders unless strict 

 repressive measures are undertaken. In 

 ,'some localities, as for example in the 

 neighborhood of Boston, glanders grad- 

 ually increased in spite of all measures 

 taken to repress it. A source of con- 

 tagion of considerable importance was 

 found in the existence of public water- 

 ing troughs, where one glanderous horse 

 might leave infection for a number of 

 other horses. It therefore appears to be 

 a very dangerous practice to permit the 

 use of any glanderous horse in such a 

 way that it will be brought in contact 

 with other horses in public places. 



Tetanus, r lockjaw is a very virulent, 

 infectious disease, characterized by vio- 

 lent muscular contractions, which are 

 due to the poisoning of the nerve centers 

 by a toxin produced by the tetanus 

 bacillus. Nearly all domestic animals 

 and man are subject to the disease, but 

 it is more common in horses and mules 

 than in cattle. Occasionally tetanus oc- 

 curs in cows after abnormal calving. 

 As a rule tetanus arises from infection 

 of a wound, frequently as a result of 

 carelessness in castration, docking the 

 tail, etc. The most conspicuous feature 

 of tetanus is the continued muscular 

 spasm, which may be increased in sever- 

 ity by any fright. Different parts of 

 the body are attacked in different cases, 

 chiefly the muscles of the head and 

 throat ; in other cases those of the neck 

 and back. The nervousness and sensi- 

 tiveness of the ears are greatly in- 

 creased, so that the slightest noise may 

 produce fright and the resulting spasms. 

 The head and tail are usually extended 

 and the movements of the animal are 

 stiff. Moreover, the teeth are occasion- 

 ally grated together. 



The tetanus bacillus is common in 

 the filth of stable floors and in gardens. 

 In some localities this infection is much 

 more general than in others and there- 

 fore an antiseptic treatment of wounds 

 must be applied promptly in all cases 

 in order to avoid the development of 

 tetanus. In the treatment of tetanus, 

 good results have been obtained by the 

 use of anti-tetanus serum. This serum 

 is commonly prepared from the blood of 

 horses recovered from tetanus and pro- 



duces immunity to tetanus in man oi 

 horses. In large doses it occasionally 

 gives good results after the first symp- 

 toms of the disease have appeared. In 

 all cases of tetanus, however, a veteri- 

 narian should be called to administer 

 the treatment. The results obtained 

 from the use of the anti-tetanus serum, 

 while not uniform, still furnish a basis 

 for reasonable hope of ultimate con- 

 trol of this disease. In a number of 

 cases good results have been obtained 

 from treating horses with the serum 

 after the disease had reached an acute 

 form. In such cases the serum was 

 given in repeated doses of large size. 

 In some cases the best results have been 

 obtained from rubbing the serum into 

 the wound through which infection took 

 place. One German investigator claims 

 to have cured horses by firing a gun 

 close to the head during the height of 

 the muscular spasms. The shock is said 

 to have caused a relaxation of the mus- 

 cles. Likewise good results have been 

 reported in a few instances from the 

 use of sodium iodide in doses of five 

 grams. Quite recently a Spanish inves- 

 tigator has reported the cure of a few 

 cases of tetanus by means of a subcu- 

 taneous injection of carbolic acid. 

 Apparently, however, the chief reliance 

 in cases of this disease is to be placed 

 on the timely treatment of wounds with 

 antiseptics and the use of anti-tetanus 

 scrum. 



Rabies — The virus of rabies, or hydro- 

 phobia is found in the saliva of affected 

 animals and is usually transmitted only 

 by the bite of such animals, which in 

 the vast majority of cases are dogs. 

 (See under Diseases of Dogs.) 



Surra — While surra probably does not 

 occur in the United States, it is com- 

 mon in the Philippines, where it has 

 caused great loss among horsesi and 

 mules, as well as among carabao and 

 other animals. The disease attacks both 

 sexes and all ages, but white or gray 

 mules are said to be more susceptible 

 than those of other colors. Surra is al- 

 most invariably fatal and the course of 

 the disease extends ordinarily over a 

 period somewhat less than two months. 

 This disease is due to the presence of a 

 parasite in the blood which is carried 

 from one animal to another by means 

 of biting insects. The symptoms of 

 surra include fever, loss of appetite, 

 dullness and a stumbling gait. The 



