Aisok rioK. 



41 



2. Tuberculosis. 



A striking fact, developcil from my experience when State Veterinarian, is that 

 fully seventy-li\'e per cent of all cattle slaiifilitered beennse of (nbercnlosis were also 

 infected with Contagious Abortion. 



This observation tends to corr(jborate a theor\- .at which I had arrived in 

 another way, that Contagious .\bortion germs in the system prepare the way 

 for the entrance of other disease germs, and predispose :i cow to tuberculosis and 

 other serious disorders. 



3. Ergotism. 



When a cow aborts, of coui'se the act must be attril)uted to some cause. Many 

 simply jump to the conclusion th.at tlie cow has been subjected to violence in some 

 way; others attribute it to feeds eir periods of excitement, without investigating the 

 case. 



Perhaps the most connuon cause to which abortion has been attributed is ergot. 



Feet ol cows severely afflicted with Ergotism. From a photograph. 



The action of ergot upon the animal has a tendency to contract the womb upon 

 the foetus and this was thought to be the direct cause of abortion. 



The common term for ergot is snnit, and this is often seen upon grasses, corn, 

 and other grain, and is more prevalent during some seasons than others. 



In the spring of 189,1 my attention was called to a number of cattle afflicted 

 with ergotism, having consumed a large amount of June grass, the June grass being 

 so afifected with ergot as to cause this herd of cattle to lose their feet and the ends 

 of their tails. Many of them were seen walking around after the claws and first 

 joints had dropped off. One animal in particular was so affected as to have her 

 feet partlv drop off. But upon change of feed and a course of treatment, recovered 

 from the disease. She being pregnant at the time of this trouble and carrying her 

 calf full time, is sufficient evidence that in this case ergot had nothing to do with 

 abortion. 



