DISEASE IN CATTLE RESEMBLING RABIES. 
647 
Three miles from Heyden a draught steer was seized with an af- 
fection of the brain, and about three versts from Heyden a bull 
and a cow fell ill and died with every symptom of rabies. In 
Mitau, although no mad dog had been seen or heard of, three 
cows, belonging to different herds, were attacked with rabies. 
About the same time were numerous cases of staggers and verti- 
go among cattle, sheep, and even swine. This tendency to affec- 
tion of the brain was, doubtless, also existing in the cattle com- 
posing the Heyden herd, only awaiting some motive power to call 
it forth; and this formed the internal ground of the affection. The 
exterior provoking cause may be found in the local arrangement 
of Heyden. For want of better grazing land the cattle here are 
mostly pastured in a birch-wood. Cattle reared here suffer almost 
every year from dysentery, and those which are brought from 
other parts seldom thrive. In 1844 the dysentery had not ap- 
peared, although, on account of a late spring, the animals had been 
pastured almost entirely in the wood. Hence, the effect usually 
produced by the coarse acid grass not having fallen on the usual 
part of the animal economy, was thrown to the already predis- 
posed skin of the brain, and a disease resembling rabies was pro- 
duced by the joint effects of fodder which acted prejudicially on 
the ganglio-nervous system, and the previously existing tendency 
to disease in the skin of the brain. 
My opinion is strengthened by the fact that, two years since, 
at Bershof, 1 saw a similar disease, arising evidently from similar 
causes ; but there, proper remedies having been applied at once, 
its progress was quickly arrested, and only three beasts died; 
while here, at Heyden, thirty-four fell victims to it, because the 
medicines given by the cow-doctor who was first called in excited 
instead of soothing the sanguineous-system. 
My purpose in writing this is, to draw the attention of veteri- 
nary surgeons to the fact, that madness in cattle can be produced 
by other causes than the bite of a rabid dog. Usually, when this 
disease appears in cattle or horses, the people set to work to recol- 
lect what strange dog has been seen about that could have bitten 
them, and, if they can remember one, set it down for certain that 
he was rabid ; and, all medical aid being deemed vain, the poor 
beasts are almost abandoned to their fate, or merely experimented 
on ; whereas, if more persons could be led to adopt my view of 
the subject, the prophylactic treatment would be ordered accord- 
ingly, and in all probability some means would be discovered of 
saving the patients. 
Magcizin fur die gesammte Thierheilkunde , 1844. 
