1860. 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



267 



PKIGHTFUIi RAVAGES OF THB CATTLE 

 DISTEMPEK. 



OKIGIN AND SPREAD OF THE DISEASE, AND THE 

 MEANS FOR ITS EXTERMINATION. 



This disease has been known to be in existence 

 :n Massachusetts for several months. It is gen- 

 erally supposed to have been introduced here by 

 iome cattle imported from Germany, by Mr. Che- 

 nery, of Belmont, a town some five or six miles 

 from Boston. From his herd a calf was sent into 

 the town of North Brookneld, in Worcester coun- 

 ty, and from thence the disease extended into 

 some of the neighboring towns. The matter was 

 brought before the Legislature at its late session, 

 but the subject was so new, and a considerable 

 portion of the members so much alarmed when- 

 ever the words "treasury" and "dollars" were used, 

 that no definite action was had upon it until the 

 last hours of the session were passing away. In 

 the meantime the disease was unquestionably mak- 

 ing its silent progress in several ways, and the 

 golden moment for suppressing it effectually was 

 gone. It is possible, however, that the disease is 

 epidemic, and that it will baffle all human fore- 

 sight and skill to prevent its ravages. We hope 

 not. But when we consider that it is communi- 

 cated readily by association, and that almost uni- 

 versal changes are taking place in our neat stock 

 at this season of the year, there is much ground, 

 we must confess, for well-founded belief that it will 

 cover the extent of New England. 



Below we give an account of a visit of Gov. 

 Banks to the infected district, the examinations 

 by the Commissioners, and the depressed state of 

 feeling among the farmers, together with inter- 

 esting incidental matters as reported for the Dai- 

 ly Bee. 



"More than $8,000,000 is invested in neat cattle in the State 

 of Massachusetts. If this destructive disease should once spread 

 over New England, millions of property must be sacrificed. 



From the representations made by the Commissioners and 

 others, Gov. Banks, on Saturday, April 21, visited the principal 

 locality of the disease, and in company with the Commissioners 

 and others gathered such information as they were able con- 

 cerning tlie disease, the extent to which it has spread, what 

 means will be required to check it, as will enable them to pro- 

 ceed with good judgment. 



PRINCIPAL SEAT AND ORIGIN OF THE DISEASE. 



As we have before stated. North Brookfield, on the high land 

 in the western part of Worcester County, is the place where the 

 ravages of the distemper have been most disastrous. It has, 

 however, spread, as it is thought, into several oFthe adjoining 

 towns, and it is not precisely known to what extent. It is quite 

 certain that there are cases in New Braiutree, Ware, South 

 Brookfield, Rutland, East Brookfield, Barre and Oakham. This 

 is a fine agricultural region, noted for its dairies and its excel- 

 lent butter and cheese. The herds of most of tlie farmers are 

 large, and many of them carefully selected from blood stock. 

 The disease reached North Brookfield from LIr. Chenery's farm 

 at Belmont. Curtis Stoddard bought a calf from Chenery's herd 

 and took it home. It was soon taken sick, and not knowing of 

 the disease, he took the calf to his father's, Leonard Stoddard, 

 to be treated. He was a very large farmer, trades cattle large- 

 ly, and had on hand a large herd, to wliich the contagion was 

 communicated. Once in this large herd, the distemper spread 

 in all directions. Several of Mr. Stoildard's cattle were taken 

 sick about two weeks after the calf \<as brought there, and in 

 about ten or fifteen days died. This section of the town has 

 become entirely depopulated of its cattle. 



THE EXAMINATION. 



The examinations made on Saturday were in this neighbor- 

 hood — the first on the farm of Mr. Alden Olmstcad. As we 

 passed up the road, but few cattle were seen. Arriving at the 

 lanu cf Mr. Olmstead they found a herd of fourteen, out of 

 which two had already been killed and seven died. Besides these 

 were four spring calves. The cattle were tied up in the barn 

 awaiting examination. They were feeding, and, to the common 

 observer, there was nothing particular indicating disease. Some 

 of them stood with their backs slightly arched, and their heads 

 drooping a little. What was more observable, on a closer exam- 

 ination, was a certain unnatural expression of the eye, which 

 was slightly glazedand dull, as if the animal was suffering from 

 pain. Otlierwise the herd looke;! well, most of them in good or- 

 der, and some of them, apparently, in perfect condition. They 

 were all condemned. 



The examination is made by sounding the lungs. This is done 

 by rapping with the fingers on the ribs, just back of the withers 

 and near the back bone. If the animal is untouched by the dis- 

 ease, tl'.ey are resonant ; but if the distemper has fastened upon 

 them, they give back a dull sound. Some idea of the extent of 

 these enlargements may be formedby the fact, that the lungs of 

 one cov^, which slioald have weighed four pounds, were so much 

 enlarged that they weighed sixteen pounds, filling the cavity 

 completely, and a<lhering to the pleura. 



One cow was led out by the side of one of the "graves." By 

 her stood a man with a sledge-hammer. A crack on the head 

 brought the animal down, the throat was cut, and the hot blood 

 poured into the pit. The surgeons laid bare the lungs and took 

 them out. They were swollen, discolored, and in portions filled 

 with pus, showing an advanced stage of the disease. 



Another cow was taken up, in which the surgeons had not de- 

 tected the disease after a car jful examination, although she had 

 of course lieen exposed. On taking out the lungs they were 

 found comparatively healthy, but wanting in tlie natural crepi- 

 tus, and with a slight discoloration on the edge, showing the in- 

 cipient stages of tlie disease. This animal had a strong consti- 

 tution, which had resisted the distemper thus far. Another had 

 been atta.cked, but was thought by the owner to have recovered. 

 The left lung was discolored,"and adhered to the diaphragm, but 

 the right lung, as is usual in cases of this kind, was badly dis- 

 eased, having adhered to the sac. A marked case was a greyish 

 cow whicli had produced two calves, twins, one of which had 

 died of the disease. The cow was found to be slightly diseased, it 

 having been transferred in a measure to the calves. When the 

 calf was led along he breathed with difficulty, and on exami- 

 nation it was found to be a very bad case. 



The Commissioners next proceeded to Mr. Leonard Stoddard's, 

 the farm where the disease first was known. Three were killed 

 here. They were all found diseased. This ended the examina- 

 tions for the day. 



The examinations and explanations by the veterinary sur- 

 geons were very minute, and the explanations intelligent. 

 Everything throwing light upon the disease in its different 

 stages of developement was examined, and specimens of the 

 lungs were reserved in nearly all the cases. Their investiga- 

 tions will throw mucli light upon the disease, and though they 

 cannot aid in curing what is incurable, they will apprise the 

 public of ths dangers to be apprehended from it, and prepare 

 them for some measures for its extinction. 



THE NUMBER KILLED, THEIR COST, ETC. 



The method by which the Commissioners proceed is as f ' 

 lows : whenever there is suspicion of disease they make exaL , 

 nations, and if they find disease the cattle are condemned 

 await slaughter, under their supervision. In cases where tht . 

 have reason to suspect the cattle have lieen exposed, while thej 

 are not certain of disease, they issue a process by v.hich the 

 stock is put in "arrest" — that is, i)revented from mixing with 

 other cattle. 



The whole number which have been put under arrest, togeth- 

 er with those killed, up to Saturday night, is about eight hun- 

 dred head. 



The value, as by apprisal of those actually killed up to Sat- 

 urday night, is $3780. 



The following table exlnbits the names of the persons whose 

 cattle have Ijeen condemned, siiowing also the original number 

 of their lierds, the number wliich the Commissioners bought for 

 preliminary examination, the number which have died, and 

 the number v.hieli have been killed. It is taken from the books 

 of the Commissioners : 



No. Herd. Bought. Died. Killed. 



C. P. Huntington 22 3 8 11 



Alden B. Woodis 27 1 5 21 



A. A. Noedham .37 2 7 28 



A. Olmstead 21 2 7 12 



L.Stoddard 62 1 13 10 



169 9 40 82 



INCIDENTS, RUMORS, ETC. 



It is hardly possible to convey an impression of the feeling 

 which exists in North Brookfield and \'ieinity. The western part 

 of Worcester cjunty is as much affected by such a calamity as 

 any section of the State couhl be. The beautiful town of North 

 Brookfield has thus far suffered the most, but unless the scourge 

 is arrested other towns will suffer equally. It is the chief subject 



