Moldy Corn 425 
toward the tip, is attacked by mold which forms a 
felt-like growth. The feeding of this corn to horses, 
either as a grain ration or as corn-fodder, during the 
fall and winter, frequently causes heavy losses from a 
disease commonly known as “staggers,” or ‘mad 
staggers,” because of the prominent symptoms. 
The symptoms are those of a brain disease. The 
animal appears to be blind and only partially conscious; 
there is often a tendency to turn in a circle to the right 
or left, with a staggering or straddling gait. There is 
usually trembling of the muscles. As the disease pro- 
gresses, the animal becomes delirious and easily excited. 
In many eases the patient will stand with the head or 
breast against a wall or manger, and push. When badly 
affected, animals often will eat apparently from force of 
habit, not because they are hungry. In some cases they 
die in a few hours after they are first noticed to be 
ailing. Most of them die within a few days; a few live 
a week, rarely longer. In a few instances the spinal cord 
is diseased, while the brain remains nearly normal. In 
these cases there is inability to control the muscles, or 
the animal may be unusually sensitive, the least irrita- 
tion of the skin, even touching the animal, often 
causing it to kick violently. Care should be exercised 
in handling a horse to avoid injury, as the animal is 
irresponsible and often in a delirious frenzy. Mules 
are rarely affected by this disease. 
In some eases bunches of horses do not begin to die 
until a month after being turned into the stalk fields, 
and they may contract the disease in a week, or even 
ten days, after the moldy corn has been withheld. 
