200 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[July, 
careful government examiners in giving a patent. 
And it is not to be doubted that a considerable 
proportion of these new implements, and addi¬ 
tions to old ones, are real improvements which 
will facilitate human labor, and lessen toil. 
The Cattle Disease—Treatment. 
Almost the entire country is excited by the re- 
ports.of the cattle disease prevailing in some parts 
of Massachusetts. Indeed, it just now seems as 
if the disease had suddenly sprung up in all parts 
of the country. In the present excitement it is 
impossible to arrive at any definite opinion as to 
the nature and extent of the disease. During a 
dozen years past, we have from time to time heard 
of single animals, here and there, which, from 
the descriptions received, seemed to be affected 
similarly to those now diseased in Massachusetts. 
We are almost daily receiving reports from New- 
Hampshire, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylva¬ 
nia, Ohio, etc., of local diseases among cattle, 
which are apparently of a similar character. 
Whether the disease be the same, or one of the 
same general type, or whether fear and imagina¬ 
tion have aided in making out an analogy, it is 
not possible yet to decide. We present here a 
diagnosis, or description of the symptoms of the 
disease, as it exists in Massachusetts, adopting 
the language of the report to the Legislature by 
Messrs. E. F. Thayer, Veterinary Surgeon, and 
George Bates, M. D. 
DIAGNOSIS OF PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. 
“If the animals are at pasture at the com¬ 
mencement of the disease, they will be found, 
early in the morning, separated from the herd, 
with arched backs, hair rough, and refusing to 
eat; while, as the day advances, they will join 
the rest, and appear to be in usual health. 
A slight but husky cough will be occasionally 
recognized ; and, at times, the breathing will be 
increased, as if the animal had made some extra 
exertion ; and in milch cows there will also be 
a diminished amount of milk. 
As tire disease progresses, the cough becomes 
more frequent and husky; the respiration is 
humid; the pulse increased and somewhat op¬ 
pressed; the appetite diminished; rumination 
suspended ; bowels constipated ; surface of the 
body and limbs cold ; the skin rigid and almost 
immovable over the ribs ; the animal, upon pres¬ 
sure upon the spine, flinches, and is unable to 
bear pressure or percussion on the sides of the 
chest or costal regions (or ribs). 
In more advanced stages the respiration is dif¬ 
ficult, labored, and painful. The animal frequent¬ 
ly lies down ; and when standing, the head is 
protruded, the mouth covered with frothy saliva, 
the muzzle cold, and the aspect spiritless and 
haggard. 
On percussing (striking) the affected side, a 
dull or dead sound is usually elicited to a greater 
or less extent, but this will depend upon the ex¬ 
tent to which the lung has become consolidated, 
and the presence or absence of fluid in the cavity 
of the chest. On applying the ear to the sides 
of the chest, one or the other is found to be af¬ 
fected ; sometimes, though rarely, both are im¬ 
plicated. When applied in the region of the dis¬ 
eased part, the car fails to perceive the low, rust¬ 
ling murmur of healthy lungs, and detects a cre¬ 
pitating sound or rattle, which, as the case ad¬ 
vances towards an unfavorable termination, be¬ 
comes duller, and, at last, is altogether inaudible. 
An examination of animals which have died 
of Flouro-Pnmmonia, will present various ap¬ 
pearances. The lungs of the same animal will 
show all the different stages of the disease ;— 
red hepatization, dark spots, and an effusion of 
serum....” 
The above description of the disease, as found 
in Massachusetts, which corresponds with the 
symptoms given by English authors, will enable 
most persons to decide, whether any animal is 
affected with the same or a similar disease. The 
following letter, from a well-known gentleman, 
who has had much to do with cattle, will be found 
interesting and instructive to those who may 
have diseased cattle. The treatment recom¬ 
mended is a good one in any case, for a disease 
of the lungs, and if it does no good, it can do no 
harm. The immediate separation of a suspect¬ 
ed animal from all contact with other animals, 
should not be ovorlooked. 
Forduam, Westchester Co., N. Y., June 14, 1860. 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist: 
At your request, I give briefly my experience 
with the Pleuro-Pncumonm or “ cattle disease.” 
During many years past I have from time to time 
had animals affected with a disease very similar 
in every respect to that now attracting so much 
attention in Massachusetts and elsewhere. I 
think the disease has been more or less prevalent 
in various parts of the country for at least fifteen 
years past—its virulence depending upon local 
causes, weather, etc.—and now that public atten¬ 
tion is attracted to the subject, we shall doubt¬ 
less hear of it from all sections, probably in every 
one of the older States. Formerly it was con¬ 
fined somewhat to dairy herds, and it being to 
the interest of the milkmen to keep the matter 
quiet, little was said upon the subject in the 
public prints. You have doubtless received many 
individual letters, describing single animals af¬ 
fected, and asking prescriptions. [We have. Ed.] 
The disease appears to be among cattle, what 
consumption is among men—similar in character 
and effects, but less general, and more easily 
overcome. 
In former years the animals in my own herd, 
and in the herds of my neighbors, rarely recover¬ 
ed after the disease became seated upon them. 
Our treatment then was bleeding and physicing. 
But during the past Winter, a few cases of the 
disease appearing, we adopted a different mode of 
treatment, and though the animals were as badly 
attacked as in former years, we have succeeded 
in restoring every one to perfect health. 
Our treatment is this : As soon as an animal 
appears diseased, we separate it from other ani¬ 
mals, and place it where it will have plenty of 
air, but. be sheltered from cold storms and from 
hot sun—in short, give plenty of pure air, and a 
cool but uniform temperature. 
No medicine is given internally, except first- 
rate diet in small quantity. Ground oats, with 
a trifle of good hay or pasture, we have found 
best. The animal will seldom eat but a small 
quantity of oat meal, and this being nourishing, 
and not hard of digestion, gives “good heart,” 
and consequently more ability to resist and 
throw ofTdisease. 
Externally we get up a counter-irritation over 
the region of the lungs. To do this, we apply 
the common “ blister salve,” or Spanish Hies. It 
is made as strong as possible by the usual me¬ 
thods of the druggists. The hair is shaved of]' for 
about the size of the whole hand on both sides 
of the animal, just back of the fore-legs—not too 
high up the sides. The blister salve is then 
strongly rubbed into the skin upon the shaven 
spot. The sores are allowed to run for a day or 
two, and then dressed with sweet oil or lard. 
With us, one blistering has answered in every 
case, but should an animal be very had, I would 
recommend a second blistering, if necessary, 
after the first has commenced to heal. 
In regard to the disease being contagious, 
my opinion is that where animals come directly 
in contact, as when they stand side by side in 
stalls, or come together in yards or pastures, 
the fetid breath from one animal may be in¬ 
haled by another, and become the seed of dis¬ 
ease, if the health and vigor of the animal be 
not sufficient to resist and throw off its effects. 
Chas. AY. Bathgate 
Artesian Well at Columbus, 
In April last we published an inquiry concern¬ 
ing the Artesian Well at Columbus, Ohio, which 
had been reported as 2,300 feet deep, and the 
deepest in the world. Several subscribers have 
responded. We are indebted to It. Hume Esq., 
Secretary of the State House Commissioners, 
in Columbus, for a copy of their official report 
containing a complete account of the work and 
many other details, from which we extract sev¬ 
eral items of interest. 
The work was commenced in July 1857, being 
undertaken to procure a permanent supply of 
water for the new State House in the process of 
erection at Columbus. From observations made 
on similar works in various pans of the world, 
and judging from the supposed character of the 
strata of rock underlying that section of the 
country, scientific men were of opinion that a 
permanent supply of water could be obtained at 
from 100 to 600 feet in depth, and at an expense 
of from $2000 to §6000. In the first experiment 
the boring reached 110 feet, but was abandoned, 
quicksand entering the shaft in such quantities 
that it could not be excluded by tubing. A sec¬ 
ond shaft was sunk 122 feet, but it was also 
abandoned from the same cause. Nov. 4th 1857, 
a third trial was commenced, and continued suc¬ 
cessfully until Oct. 15th 1859, at which time a 
depth of 2340 feet was reached. The work was 
then suspended, the appropriation therefor hav¬ 
ing been exhausted, Application was made to 
the last Legislature for additional funds, and in 
view of the important scientific facts brought to 
light during the progress of the work, as well as, 
if possible, to secure the end originally aimed at, 
$3000 additional were granted. The work was 
resumed on May 7th, and on the 28th, the dale 
of Mr. Hume’s letter, they were boring at the 
depth of 2388 feet, and progressing downward at 
the rate of four feet per day. At a depth of 119 
feet a vein of water was struck which washed 
away the borings for nearly a hundred feet below, 
and rose within 22 feet of the surface. It is 
thought an abundant supply of water may bo 
had by pumping from this vein. At 180 feet sul¬ 
phur water was obtained. At 675 feet the water 
became quite salty, and has continued so down 
to the deepest point reached. Thus it is proba¬ 
ble that even if water finally comes to the sur¬ 
face, it will he unfit for ordinary use. But the 
important information gained concerning the 
deep seated strata of rocks, it js thought, jus¬ 
tifies a continuance of the work. 
Some of the deepest Artesian wells are as 
follows : 
At Grenelle, Paris, France, 1791 ft. The wa¬ 
ter from this well rises 40 to 50 ft. above the 
surface, and discharges six hundred gallons per 
minute. 
A Well in the Duchy of Luxemburg, is 2336 (t. 
deep, one at Charleston, S. O., 1U5 ft., at St. 
Louis, Mo., 2199 ft., at Louisville, Ky, 20S6 ft. 
