100 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Feb. 



Not caused by Ferment in the Blood. 



It is not necessary to dcVotc any time to the ex- 

 amination of tliciiypothesis, wliifli refers the origin 

 of all contagious diseases to the presence of a fer- 

 ment in the "blood. If the idea is merely advanced 

 as an i:?»i;eniou8 speculation, it may be left to amuse 

 those who hiid an interest in the investigation of 

 chunevas; )iut if the suggestion claims to be ac- 

 cepted as a theory, it may be refused on the gi-ound 

 that chemical and microscopic research have alike 

 failed to demonstrate the presence of the germs of 

 ferment, or the occuiTcnce of any process in the 

 circulating fluid at all resembling fermentation, 

 cither in its progress or its product. Examinations 

 of the blood of diseased cattle have Ix'cn nuule re- 

 cently, in the sheds where the sick animals were 

 kept,' and the highest powers of tlic microscope 

 have been used in'the investigation ; but no unusual 

 organic particles have been found. The fluid is hi 

 a state of excessive molecular activity ; the red 

 discs are nearly all of them stellate in form, and 

 change their aspect frequently, finally assuming the 

 circular form. White corpuscles, leucothytes,, are 

 moi-e numerous than they arc in heahhy blood, 

 and there are also seen many minute spherical 

 bodies freely moving in all directions. Backteria 

 and Vibriones arc constantly found ; small masses 

 of living germinal matter are also present ; but it is 

 worthy of iiarticular remark that ail these bodies 

 have lieen seen in the blood and other fluids of an- 

 imals atiectcd with non-contagious febrile diseases. 



Further, it may be accepted as a positive truth, 

 that organic particles which possess the power of 

 communicating infection to the healthy system, 

 cannot l)c distinguished from those which assist in 

 the support of the tissues during the process of 

 nutrition. Microscopic examinations of the dis- 

 charges from the eyes, the saii\a, the contents of 

 vesicles, and also of the milk, have resulted in the 

 discovery of very interesting changes in the mole- 

 cular constitution of the several secretions. The 

 saUva when carefully collected, without touching 

 the skin or mucous membrane of the mouth, is 

 quite pclhicid, and contains small stellate crystals, 

 and minute spherical bodies, monads, which move 

 ■with activity in the fluid. In the limpid fluid of 

 the vesicles there arc large nucleated cells and 

 masses of living germinal matter, besides monads, 

 bacteria and vibriones. Shnilar bodies are found 

 in the fluid discharge from the eye. 



Effect on the Milk. 

 Specimens of milk obtahicd from cows in various 

 Stages of the disease, have been submitted to mi- 

 croscopic inspection repeatedly, for the purpose of 

 ascertaining, if possible, whet lier or not any change 

 occurs in the constitution of the fluid likely to be 

 injurious to the health of those who partake of it. 

 Nearly all the specimens of milk which were tested 

 had a low specilic gravity, (1021) and generally a 

 fair proportion of creana was thrown up. There 

 were invariably found large granular cells, or white 

 corpuscles, having the general characters of the 

 pus globule. The milk from one cow was exam- 

 ined from the connncncement to the temiination of 

 the disease, and for three weeks after recovery ; and 

 it was observed that the i)us-like l)odies remained 

 during the whole time. At the worst jjcriod of the 

 affection, the bodies were numerous, and as the dis- 

 ease declined, they become fewer in luiniber ; but 

 some were seen on the last examination, three 

 •weeks after recovery. :Monads and I)acteria were 

 among the cells de'tected in every specimen, and 

 these Ijodies remained nnafl'ectcd, cither in their 

 form or rapidity of movement, by boiling. The 

 speciflc gravity of the milk was found to rise 

 .slightly during convalesencc, from 1024 to 1027, 

 the last number being within three or four degrees 

 of the normal standard. In two instances the spe- 

 cilic gravity of the milk was respectively 1032 and 



1034, the quantity in each case being reduced to 

 one-flfth of tlie ordinary yield. 



MiUi taken in the evening from diseased annuals, 

 gave evidence of the commencement of decompo- 

 sition on the following morning. This was, in some 

 measure, due to tlu' high temperature which pre- 

 vailed during the time the <jl)scrvations were made. 

 When boiled, the milk remained good for twenty- 

 four hours, under the same ch-cmustances and at 

 the same time. 



Effect of Diseased Milk on Animals. 



What influence the numerous pus-like globules 

 and gramdar cells, with the living organisms in the 

 form of monads and bacterya, may exercise upon 

 the health of the human subject it is imiK)ssiblc, in 

 the absence of direct experiments to determine. 

 But the evidence in respect of its effects upon the 

 young of the lower animals is very conclusive. 

 Some .years ago. Professor Simonds lost three valu- 

 able calves in one day in consequence of allowing 

 them to suck a cow Avhich was suffering from the 

 disease in the early stage. He also produced ecze- 

 ma in pigs by giving them the milk immediately 

 after it was drawn from a diseased cow. Conti- 

 nental observers also allude to histances of the 

 poisonous action of the milk on young animals. 



Since the above observations were made, other 

 cases of sudden death of calves from sucking the 

 milk of diseased cows, have been recorded. With- 

 in the last few weeks calves, which were apparently 

 well when left at night, have been found dead in 

 the morning from this cause ; and there is too much 

 reason to apprehend that to the young of the mam- 

 malia in general, the milk from cows aflected with 

 mouth and foot disease is highly deleterious. 



Probably the most recent experiment with milk 

 from a diseased cow was made in my own house. 

 During the early period of the prevalence of the 

 disease, when milk was daily sent to me for exam- 

 ination, I gave to a young cat a liberal supply of 

 that which was left from my experiments. The 

 animal shortly became very weak and ill, and, after 

 the lirst few days, declined to accept the diseased' 

 milk, although no other kind was supplied in its 

 place. Indeed, at the time, the milk on my own 

 table contained an abundant quantity of the mor- 

 bid elements. 



Among the specimens sent for examination were 

 some taken from animals which sutt'ercd from the 

 ett'ects of the disease in one or more quarters of the 

 udder. These examples contained little else than 

 pus-corpuscles and exudation cells, with monads 

 and iiacicria ; the milk globules were few and fiU' 

 between. This abnormal condition of the secre- 

 tions may be a subject full of interest for the pa- 

 thologist; but it is sickening to know that such 

 morbid matter is used to swell the general bulk of 

 the monnng and evening quantum of milk which 

 is supplied to the population, who, if any suspicion 

 is aroused, are quite reassured by the dairyman's 

 entirely ronumtic statcnunt, that "when cows have 

 the disease all the milk dries up." 



Flesh of Diseased Animals Harmless. 



Meat from diseased animals has also been care- 

 fully examined, and the results of the investigation 

 are altogether satisfactory. No morbid products 

 have been dctccti'd, and excepting the ]»rescncc of 

 some ol'tlic parasitic liodics, — jmoro ti/ienna, — which 

 were fomul abundantly in the llcsli of animals dead 

 of cattle plague, and other malignant diseases, 

 nothing of an abnonnal kind has been observed. 

 It nniy, therefore, be safely assimied that the meat 

 of aninnils atfected with mouth and foot disease is 

 harmless ; the more so that it always, unlike milk, 

 undergoes some culinary process, before being con- 

 sumed. 



Communication of the Disease. 



From experiments, which will l)e hereafter re- 

 ferred to, it appears that the contagion is m a most 



