f 



CEEEBEOSPINAL MENINGITIS (" FORAGE POISONING"). 9 



to the disease by coming in contact with diseased horses. For 

 instance, Dr. Herman Busman, who was in charge of the Kansas field 

 force of veterinarians of the Bureau of Animal Industry, reports a 

 case where horses were kept in adjoining corrals separated only by a 

 wire fence. Those on one side were fed on green forage and recently 

 cut cane, and died from the disease, while those on the other side 

 were fed dry feed and not one became sick. He also reports a similar 

 occurrence in a livery barn where the horses had been fed on clean, 

 dry feed without sickness, but when fresh cut bottom-land hay was 

 substituted for the former feed the horses became sick within a few 

 days. Another similar instance was reported by Dr. E. T. Davison, 

 in charge of the bureau's field force in Nebraska, in the case of a 

 farmer who owned a work team that was strictly barn fed. "V^Tiile 

 attending the State Fair at Lincoln these horses were turned out on 

 pasture for two days and both horses came down with the disease 

 on the fourth and fifth days, respectively, after being taken off the 

 pasture. 



It is such cases as these that have incriminated the forage and 

 caused the disease to be known as ' 'pasture disease " in some localities. 

 Indeed some veterinarians report that all the animals affected had 

 been on pasture, or, having been removed from pasture, had been fed 

 on recent cuttings of alfalfa, prairie hay, cane, or kafir corn, while no 

 cases came under observation where the animals had been on dry feed 

 all summer. 



A long period of dry weather followed by rainfall with considerable 

 humidity and heat seems to favor the development and dissemination 

 of the disease. The period from August 1 to October 1, 1912, pre- 

 sented exceptional climatic conditions in western Kansas and south- 

 ern Nebraska, and it was observed that crops cut and cured before 

 this date could be fed with impunity. During the first week in 

 August a heavy rainfall started in Kansas and nearly twice the usual 

 amoujat was recorded, falling mostly during the night and soaking in. 

 This was followed by very high temperatures, the 17 days from 

 August 23 to September 9 being the hottest series of days on record 

 in Dodge City. There were also more than the usual number of 

 cloudy or partly cloudy days with high relative humidities. The 

 dew point was reached early at night and the deposit of dew was 

 abundant, which is uncommon in that section. High hunudities 

 certainly continued throughout the day among the grasses near the 

 soil. These grasses, which usually cure into hay on the root, became 

 dotted with both parasitic and saprophytic fungi. ¥/ater holes, 

 draws, and buffalo wallows remained filled with water throughout 

 most of the period. During the latter part of September frosts 

 occurred, accompanied not only by cooler weather but with lower 



