520 CORNSTAI.K DISEASE IN CATTLE 



furnishes the information here given concerning the symptoms 

 and morbid anatomy of this affection. 



§ 406. Geographical distribution. Geographically, 

 this affection is restricted very largely to those sections of the 

 United States where the farmers harvest their corn by picking 

 the ears from the standing stalks, after which cattle are turned 

 into the cornstalk fields. At present, therefore, it is limited 

 in its distribution to the middle and northern portions of the 

 Mississippi Valley. It is believed that there are exceptions to 

 this and that infrequently cattle die from its effects in the 

 eastern part of the country. 



§ 407. 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 cause 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. 



§ 408. Symptoms. The insidious nature and rapid 

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

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

 the sick animals have been observed very carefully h<^ their 

 •owners, from whom all of our knowledge of the symptoms is 

 obtained. One owner found a steer lying down 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 place a steer was 

 found to remain behind the other animals when they were 

 ■driven to water about 11 A. m. 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 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



