620 
T. A. BRAY. 
TEXAS OR SOUTHERN CATTLE FEVER. 
By Dr. T. A. Bray, D.V.S., Inspector of Abattois No. 46. 
A paper read before the Missouri Valley Veterinary Association, October 3, 1894. 
Texas or Southern cattle fever is a disease of the blood, caus¬ 
ing a destruction of the red corpuscles. A microorganism, which 
lives within the red corpuscles, is the destroying power 
The infection is carried by newly hatched ticks, which inocu¬ 
late susceptable cattle, directly into the blood. Native cattle 
can also be inoculated by the blood of Southern cattle by intrave¬ 
nous, or subcutaneous injection, as the microparasite is always 
present in Southean cattle, even if they have been away from 
Southern pastures for a few years. 
All Southern calves go through a natural inoculation by the 
ticks, at which age the death-rate is very small; when I say all 
Southern calves, I think I am right, as the ticks are pretty well 
scattered all over the territory, where the winter is not severe 
enough to destroy them. 
After they are once inoculated, they are generally safe, as 
far as the Texas fever is concerned, as the system then seems to 
be indifferent to the virus. The incubation period is about six 
to ten days after direct inoculation, but this period may be ex¬ 
tended three or four weeks at some seasons of the year. 
There are two stages of Texas fever: mild and acute. The 
mild stage occurs in autumn, is not very fatal, in fact the blood 
would have to be examined for the microorganism, in order to 
tell if the disease was present, as the general symptoms are 
absent. 
The acute stage occurs during v the hot summer months and 
is very fatal, especially to mature and aged susceptable cattle. 
During the winter months, from December first to March first, 
there is no danger from Texas fever, as the ticks cannot exist in 
the territory where the susceptable cattle are. 
Symptoms. —Dullness, loss of appetite, cessation of rumination, 
high temperature, from 105° to io8°F., bowels constipated during 
high fever, and great emaciation following high fever. 
