CORRESPONDENCE. 
159 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
*» 
“A NEW CATTLE DISEASE OR CONVULSIVE ERGOTISM. 
An article has this month appeared in the Veterinary Jour¬ 
nal of London, England, copied from your issue of March, 
headed a “ New Cattle Disease,” by Mr. T. J. Turner, D.V.S., 
State Veterinarian, Columbus, Mo. 
There is an old adage, perhaps not infallible, that “ there 
is nothing new under the sun.” Will it not be well to be 
quite certain that in this case we have not an “ old disease” 
not recognized. 
The writer describes the gradual development of the 
symptoms, nervous derangement and convulsions; good.state 
of the appetite and digestion; some of the animals, perhaps, 
affected with diarrhoea, and death in convulsions—the nature 
of its distribution in different herds. The post-mortem ap¬ 
pearances revealing nothing remarkable, but a close examina¬ 
tion showing an atrophy of the nervous structures. 
The symptoms, the nature of its distribution and the post¬ 
mortem appearances, which are all well and minutely de¬ 
scribed, point so markedly to “ convulsive ergotism ” that be¬ 
fore accepting the idea of a “ new disease,” the possibility of 
the food, or any portion of it, containing any of the ergotted 
grasses or grains, must be satisfactorily established. It is well 
to remember that ergot attacks many varieties of grasses and 
grains, and that the ergotted seed of many of the grasses may 
be so small as to be microscopic; that hay may be well saved 
and appear wholesome and sweet, but a close examination 
may reveal quantities of ergot, or ergot may probably be 
found on the grasses in the pasture. 
C. H. SWEETAPPLE, V.S., 
Lecturer on Cattle Pathology Ontario Veterinary College. 
VETERINARIAN WANTED. 
Gentlemen: Ansonia, Conn., May io, 1893. 
Our veterinary surgeon just died. He was a young man, 
graduate of Ontario, I think; had a good practice. We are 
a city of ten thousand people, stirring, busy. 
Do not some of your young men wish to come here and 
locate ? We think it a good opening. S. W. Smith. 
