AN ENZOOTIC ATTACK OF CHOREA AMONG CATTLE. 
909 
AN ENZOOTIC ATTACK OF CHOREA AMONG CATTLE. 
By A. D. Knowles, Veterinarian, Nevada, Mo. 
Read before the loth Annual Meeting of the Missouri Veterinary Medical Association, 
October 22 and 23, 1901. 
About September 20th, 1900, I was on the farm of a Mr. 
Arnold vaccinating some cattle, and my attention was called to 
a grade polled Angus heifer about a year and a half old. She 
stood among a bunch of cattle on the opposite side of the lot 
with her head turned toward us 5 the head was moving from 
side to side and in a rotary motion ; the eyes staring; the front 
feet extended, as if to prevent falling forward ; the hind legs 
also placed in a bracing position, and the animal was very ner¬ 
vous. 
When I approached her she started excitedly stepping high, 
the front feet almost touching her ears, and after going a few 
steps she fell on her side in a state of eclampsia 5 I approached 
and found her trembling, with eyes rolled back 5 respiration 
and pulse very rapid ; I did not take temperature at that time, 
but found on later examinations that the temperature was ele¬ 
vated from one to three degrees. After leaving her for a few 
minutes, she arose and passed along the opposite side of the 
lot with that same unsteady gait, frequently falling forward. 
I was informed by Mr. Arnold that he had had cattle af¬ 
fected like her for four previous years, that it usually made its 
appearance in October and lasted several weeks ; and that he 
had never lost one showing the symptoms ; he said he had had 
the services of veterinarians before, but that they had failed to 
successfully treat the affection. 
I was on Mr. Arnold’s farm several times during the autumn 
and winter and saw about seventy-five head of his herd of two 
hundred and fifty cattle show the symptoms as just described ; 
the affected cattle would continue to eat and thrive, but would 
frequently fall, while suffering from the spasms, into ditch or 
creek and be unable to rise until helped. 
