1904. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
EPIZOOTIC OR INFECTIOUS ABOR¬ 
TION IN CATTLE. 
We all have seen in valuable herds oi 
cattle the ravages of epizootic or infec¬ 
tious abortion, the disease spreading from 
one animal to another until perhaps every 
one has become a victim. This is a seri¬ 
ous loss to the stock mail, and the veterin¬ 
arian is frequently appealed to for aid. 
The contagious nature of epizootic abor¬ 
tion was first identified by Braner, who 
discovered that the mucous secretions ot 
cows which had suffered from abortion of 
an epizootic nature could induce the same 
result in healthy cows. Abortion would 
result in from nine to 21 days. Infec¬ 
tion seems to result from direct contact 
alone. Roloff observed the disease among 
the cows of one stable without affecting 
those in an adjoining one. The infection 
seems to take place directly from animal 
to animal, or through the litter, wet stable 
floors, urinary secretions, and attendants. 
It occurs in stables which are sanitary and 
in those that are filthy; in large and small 
herds, in spite of all hygienic precautions. 
The disease has without doubt been seen 
more frequently in recent years. Con¬ 
stant stabulation and especially inbreed¬ 
ing, so extensively practiced of late, may 
be partly responsible, and so changing the 
natural resistance of the animal tissues 
that they become a productive medium 
for the organism. It is observed by our 
best authorities that these conditions pre¬ 
dispose both to sporadic and infectious 
abortion. Fleming says epidemics of 
abortion have been recorded from the earl¬ 
iest times. 
Dr. Harger, in a paper read before the 
State Veterinary Medical Society of 
Pennsylvania, says that epizootic abor¬ 
tion in the cow can be produced in the 
mare, and that there is a probability of 
contagion between the cow and the ewe. 
It is said that goats have aborted in sta¬ 
bles where cows were suffering from abor¬ 
tion at the time. The germ may enter 
through the circulatory system or by the 
genital passages. Nothing is known-upon 
this point as to the respiratory and di¬ 
gestive tracts. The infection of the female 
may take place in the field in which abor¬ 
tion has occurred. A cow that has 
aborted has a tendency to so again the 
following two years, but each year this 
tendency diminishes, and unless new cows 
are introduced into a herd the disease 
tends to exterminate itself. Each year 
the abortion takes place later and the ani¬ 
mal seems to acquire immunity in a few 
years. 
The essential question is, how can the 
prevention and the eradication of this dis¬ 
ease be accomplished? Among the pre¬ 
ventives may be mentioned a proper ar¬ 
rangement of the interior of the stable 
and stalls, water fresh and not too cold, 
not too much light, good sanitary condi¬ 
tions and periodical disinfection, good 
physical care, nutritious digestible food 
of good quality, but not excessive in 
quantity, nor too bulky, especially during 
later part of gestation; avoiding sudden 
changes of food, especially food contain¬ 
ing specific poisonous products from fer¬ 
mentation, improper harvesting and veg¬ 
etable parasites; removal of cows to a 
separate stable some time before calving. 
The refuse of sugar refineries and whis¬ 
ky distilleries should be withheld, or only 
given in small quantities, mixed with 
other elements. The same can be said of 
cotton seed and rape seed cakes. Violent 
exertion or a high temperature may in¬ 
duce abortion. The mere sight of a cow 
may have the same effect on those along¬ 
side of her. A routine of treatment con¬ 
sisting of antiseptic applications and dis¬ 
infection of the stable is advisable. Dr. 
Law, on the treatment of contagious abor¬ 
tion, says: “One of the main treatments 
is thorough disinfection of the whole stable 
and its contents and the following is first, 
scrape and wash the back parts of the 
stall and gutter, and water it with a solu¬ 
tion of five ounces sulphate of copper in 
one gallon of pure water. Repeat this 
cleaning and watering at least once a 
week. This should be applied in all cases 
where an aborting cow has stood. To 
treat the whole in the same way would be 
even better, as it is impossible to say how 
many harbor the germ. Dissolve one 
dram of corrosive sublimate, one ounce 
each of alcohol and glycerine, and shake 
this up in a gallon of water, using as an 
injection and a wash for the external 
parts. ” Every morning the back of the 
hips and roots of the tail should be 
sponged with this liquid, and this is best 
applied to the whole herd. When any 
case of abortion has occurred foetal mem¬ 
branes must be removed without delay 
and together with the foetus destroyed by 
burning, or buried deeply and the stall 
cleansed and watered freely with the cop¬ 
per solution. Then the internal parts 
should be washed out with 1/ gallon of 
the corrosive sublimate solution injected 
through a rubber tube. This should be 
repeated daily for a week. Braner in¬ 
troduced the mode of treatment of admin¬ 
istering to cows with a hypodermic syringe 
upon the flank or shoulder four months 
before calving, V/ to 2J4 drams of two- 
per cent watery solution of carbolic acid 
with the most favorable results. In this 
manner he treated two stables in which 
in spite of thorough disinfection from two 
to four cows aborted every year. Dr. 
Harger says in administering the same 
treatment, that with him in every instance 
the subsequent calving was normal. 
In conclusion, I will say I have treated 
infectious abortion very successfully by 
separating the affected animals from the 
rest of the herd and giving tnem daily in¬ 
jections of either corrosive sublimate or 
creolin in forms of solution and by spray¬ 
ing the back parts of the animal with a 
strong solution of either creolin or car¬ 
bolic acid. I have found the best preven¬ 
tive treatment for cows after being in¬ 
fected is asafoetida, from two to four 
drams a day, for four or five days, until 
symptoms have subsided. 
Shropshire Lambs. —About as early in 
the season as we can depend on getting 
lambs from our purebred Shropshires is 
February 1, and as a rule for our purpose 
we would rather have them come about 
the middle of March, as we develop all 
our stock for breeding purposes. On one 
of our outlying farms where we keep 
200 common grade ewes we breed them 
to drop lambs April 1, and half of them 
are generally fit to go to market by Au¬ 
gust 1, weighing about 75 pounds per 
head. We find this pays us better under 
our circumstances, as we have a lot of 
rough land, and the cheapest way we can 
till it is with the sheep and lambs, with 
no labor account running. Regarding the 
very early lambs, they have a place on the 
rich and productive farms where most of 
the land is under cultivation and little 
rough land available for pasture. There 
is no question that those who intend 
raising early lambs must use either the 
Horned Dorset or the fine wool breeds, as 
they must be got early, if we expect to 
get the highest price, namely, around 
Christmas. But no cast-iron rule can be 
laid down at this business, as some cir¬ 
cumstances are well suited for the one 
industry, while it would be an absolute 
failure in the other. j. c. duncan. 
Lewiston, N. Y. 
THE PARSONS 
“LOW-DOWN” MILK WAGONS 
are unexcelled for convenience, durability and at¬ 
tractiveness. They wear as many months as they cost 
dollars. 
TWO 
DOLLARS 
A MONTH 
will cover 
initial cost 
and all re¬ 
quired re¬ 
pairs upon 
one of them. Our catalogue Is yours for the asking. 
JOHN R. PARSONS, Manager, Earlville, N. Y. 
C. E. HATCH, V. S. 
A TRAP NEST FOR HENS. 
Will A. J. fenakespeare give more details 
about the trip on the trap nests which he 
uses, described on page 409, as it is appar¬ 
ently different from that used at the Maine 
Experiment Station. d. l. t. 
Wyoming Co., N. Y. 
Since writing the article referred to, I 
have received a bulletin from the Maine 
Experiment Station, which shows they 
are now using a different trap nest, and 
I believe a better one than the one I have 
been using, which probably explains the 
reason for your subscriber’s questions. 
The nest is 2S inches long, 14 inches wide, 
and 14 inches deep, divided in the middle 
with a board of the shape shown in dia¬ 
gram, which shows a board 13*4 by 13*4 
inches, with a circular opening cut out ot 
top V /2 inches wide and deep. Half an 
inch in front of the top of this partition 
board is a board }4 inch thick, six inches 
wide by 13j4 inches long, nailed to the 
sides of nest flat side up. A 3-16-inch 
wire bent as shown in the figure rests 
on this flat six-inch board, and the long 
end of wire extends down across the 
middle of the circular opening of division 
board. The light door which is lumg on 
a 3-16-inch wire fastened to nest on both 
sides in front is lifted back and a round- 
headed tack in bottom of door rests on 
wire. When the hen enters the rear halt 
of nest, which is the nest proper, she is 
obliged to crowd the wire to one side, 
which at once disengages from the tack, 
and the door closes. This may not be 
what D. L. T. desires, but in any instance 
I would suggest that he try the nest now 
used by the Maine Experiment Station, as 
I do not believe it would close by a sud¬ 
den jar or by hens going part way in 
and then Liking out, as they may with the 
nest I am using. a. j. Shakespeare. 
Kalamazoo, Mich. 
»o 
jje KILFLty 
f/% 
Cows will give 15 to 20 per 
MORE 
MILK „ 
MORE-** 
1VIUN LI ! cent more rnilk if protected 
■ from the torture of flies with 
CHILD'S SO-BOS-SO KILFLY. 
Kills fliesand all insects; protects horses as well 
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Rapidly applied with Child’s Electric Sprayer. 
30 to 50 cows sprayed in a few minutes. A true 
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pens in a perfectly sanitary condition. 
Auk denier for Child's 80-BOS-SO or send $1 (special 
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24 LaFayette Street, Utica, N. Y 
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I J. S. Kemp Mfg. Co., Newark Valley, N. Y„ Waterloo, la. 
551 
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