1108 
TH EC RURAL NEW-YOHKEK 
October 25 
A REMEDY FOR INFECTIOUS ABORTION 
IN CATTLE. 
Among the serious disorders of cattle 
with which dairymen have to cope, in¬ 
fectious abortion ranks high in import¬ 
ance. As a scourge of the dairy it is 
second, perhaps, only to tuberculosis. It 
is a widespread disorder, found in every 
civilized country, and causes an aggre¬ 
gate loss to dairymen of many millions 
of dollars annually. This loss is oc¬ 
casioned not only by the premature birth 
of calves, which are thus lost, but by the 
consequent shrinkage in milk production 
of the affected cows, their subsequent 
failure to breed, or if they do conceive, 
to carry their calves to full term. With 
this record to its credit, it is not strange 
that contagious abortion has been the 
subject of careful investigation both in 
this and foreign countries. The result 
of this study has been the discovery and 
isolation of a micro-organism, or germ, 
known as the bacillus abortus. This 
germ finds entrance to the uterus either 
through the medium of the general cir¬ 
culation, or directly from the mucous 
membrane lining the vagina. Having en¬ 
tered the uterus, it causes the death of 
the fetus and its subsequent expulsion. 
While with the discovery of its cause 
the first great step was taken in the 
control of this scourge, up to the present 
time little advance seems to have been 
made in its treatment. Knowing that it 
was a germ disease, it is but natural that 
veterinarians should have turned to anti¬ 
septics and disinfectants as offering the 
most hopeful means for its control. In 
1912 a bulletin was issued from the 
Montana Agricultural Experiment Sta¬ 
tion giving the results of the study of 
contagious abortion at that station and 
stating their conviction that carbolic 
acid, either administered with the food or 
injected hypodermically, would prove a 
specific for that disease. It was found 
that cattle would readily eat a consider¬ 
able quantity of carbolic acid when 
mixed with their food, though its intro¬ 
duction into the circulation through a 
hypodermic needle was less laborious and 
equally efficacious. It was considered 
equally necessary to disinfect the gener¬ 
ative organs of the male to prevent the 
spread of contagious abortion in the herd. 
Aside from the use of carbolic acid and 
various proprietary remedies of more or 
less doubtful efficacy, few remedial 
measures seem to have been adopted in 
veterinary practice. In June of this 
year an important bulletin was issued 
from the Vermont Agricultural Experi¬ 
ment Station advocating a similar treat¬ 
ment, but with another, and less well 
known, antiseptic. Among the peculiar 
substances used in medicine are the ani¬ 
line dyes, and of these, methylene blue 
has been found to possess marked germi¬ 
cidal properties. In a laboratory study 
of the bacillus of abortion, it was found 
that methylene blue proved more effective 
in destroying that germ than any other 
antiseptic which it was practicable to 
administer to living animals. It was 
further known that this substance when 
taken into the stomach would be 
promptly absorbed and carried by the 
circulation to all the organs of the body. 
It has, in fact, been considerably used 
in human medicine as an internal anti¬ 
septic to the urinary tract. Methylene 
blue should not be confounded with 
methyl blue, a similar substance, but not 
the same; and only the chemically pure 
medicinal grade should be used. It is 
fortunately possible to ascertain by labor¬ 
atory tests of the blood of cattle whether 
or not they are infected with the germ 
of abortion and consequently liable to 
fail to carry their calves to full term. In 
the tests of methylene blue by the Ver- 
mont Station, several herds known to be 
infected have been used, and the blood 
examination has been resorted to to as¬ 
certain which cows were most likely to 
abort. It is recommended by that sta¬ 
tion that the treatment should be begun 
early in pregnancy; that one-third to 
one-half ounce doses should be given 
night and morning for seven days and 
then discontinued for a month. This 
weekly treatment with intervals of one 
month between should be continued dur¬ 
ing pregnancy. The remedy may be ad¬ 
ministered in the cow’s food, but it is 
preferable to enclose it in capsules and 
administer by means of a balling gun. 
In this way none is lost, and the stain¬ 
ing of the cow’s muzzle and the manger 
is avoided. Methylene blue is excreted 
from the body chiefly through the kid¬ 
neys, and the urine is, of course, colored, 
as is the manure. The administration of 
this remedy does not do away with the 
necessity of disinfecting the stable and 
utensils, which may be done by the use 
of any of the standard disinfectants. A 
one per cent solution of liquor cresolis 
compositus has been found safe and effi¬ 
cient for use upon the animals and uten¬ 
sils, while a one to one-thousand solution 
of mercuric chloride may be used upon 
the stable floor, walls, etc. 
The medicinal grade of methylene blue 
may be obtained through any druggist, 
and costs about $2.50 per pound; making 
a week’s treatment cost about 70 cents 
per cow. As there is no practicable 
method by which the dairyman can as¬ 
certain which of his cows are likely to 
abort, he will need to administer the 
drug to all of his cattle when he knows 
that the disease or infection has obtained 
a foothold among them. The Vermont 
experiments would seem to show pretty 
conclusively that there is no danger in 
the use of methylene blue, even in ex¬ 
cessive dosage, and that while too large 
doses might temporarily color the milk, 
it is not altered in taste or wholesome¬ 
ness, and the butter is not affected. 
Experimental work along this line is 
still being continued at the Vermont Sta¬ 
tion, and more complete data will be is¬ 
sued later; enough has been done, how- 
evei-, to warrant a preliminary report, 
recommending the use of methylene blue, 
and it is believed that in this substance 
an efficient and easily administered 
remedy for infectious abortion has been 
found. M. B. DEAN. 
BREEDING PUREBRED STOCK. 
When I started in the business I 
bought a few choice grade cows. They 
wei’e bred to a good registered male. He 
proved good and I kept all his heifers. 
They all made fine milkers, but the ques¬ 
tion struck me: “Am I getting my value 
out of my calf crop?” The males I was 
giving away, as they would eat their 
heads off before ready for veal. The 
heifers wei’e only worth $10 at weaning 
time. This put me to thinking. I 
wanted to increase the profits of my 
herd. Now, this brings me around to 
registered stock. I bought a young cow; 
she freshened, dropped a heifer calf. I 
was not vei’y well posted on pedigree, but 
by reading the best dairy and stock 
papers it did not take me long to find 
out what I wanted. I kept raising and 
now and then advertised a nice heifei’, 
weeding out my grades. I now have as 
fine a herd of pure St. Lamberts as are 
in the State. You will notice the breed¬ 
ing of my herd: Bull, Itiotress Rioter 
King, dam has a test of 23 pounds 2*4 
ounces of butter in seven days. I paid 
a good price for him, but he has been 
the best investment I ever made; good 
demand for his sons and daughters. To 
get down to the business point it must 
be the man behind the cows; he must 
be a man who has enough knowledge to 
know how to do the work and take care 
of his correspondence. One of the im¬ 
portant things, he must be a man of 
honor; he must be squai’e in all his 
dealings. There are a good many things 
to consider in taking up this work. I 
have a friend here who wishes to start in 
the registered cattle business, yet he is 
not suited for the work, as he is not 
qualified to handle it. 6. j. howabd. 
Kentucky. 
Sow Eats Chickens. 
I have a sow that has developed the 
chicken-eating habit, with the result that 
now, since that source of food has been 
cut off, she will hardly eat enough to 
keep her on her legs. I have given her a 
most generous variety of food, all to no 
purpose. j. m. 
Sewell, N. J. 
AVe know of no specific cui’e; but it is 
rare for hogs to eat chickens if they are 
allowed free range on grass when young 
and at all times are fed mixed rations. 
The addition of digester tankage, or blood 
meal, to the rations may help, by adding 
needed protein. It is usual to dope a fresh 
killed chicken with mustard or Barbadoes 
aloes and then throw it to the hog, but 
such a plan does not always work, and 
the confirmed chicken-killing sow in most 
instances has to be slaughtered for meat. 
AVhat have our experienced readers to say 
on the subject? A. s. a. 
“Many brands of Portland Cement are on the- market,” $ays the 
U. S. Government in Farmers’ Bulletin 481, “from which the 
farmer should select some well known make gnaranieed by the 
local dealer to meet the standard specifications forceme'nt of the 
United States Government.” 
“Portland” means merely a general class of cement, just as 
“Russia” means a kind of leather, and “Oak” a kind of timber. 
Leather, oak and cement may be fair, good or very select. 
In building of concrete, you should not risk using, a cement of 
only fair quality. It may spoil the entire job. Insure permanence 
by using the highest quality of Portland Cement obtainable, which is 
ALPHA 
THE GUARANTEED 
PORTLAND 
CEMENT 
ALPHA is warranted to more 
than meet the U. S. Government 
requirements and all other standard 
tests. For 23 years the Alpha Port¬ 
land Cement Company has stood for 
quality. Hourly its chemists see that 
every ounce is uniform. ALPHA is 
always thoroughly burned, finely 
ground and properly seasoned. 
Insist on ALPHA and be sure. 
Shun the “ just as good ” brand. 
Your leading dealer can furnish 
ALPHA; if he won’t, we will see 
that you are supplied. 
112-Page Concrete Farm Book Sent FREE 
Tells how to make 100 farm improvements with ALPHA—barn floors, walks, manure 
pits, silos, steps, posts, etc. Regular price 25 cents. Sent free if you mention 
this publication and state what you plan to make. Ask for Book r ' . 
offices' Easton, Pa. 
ALPHA PORTLAND CEMENT COMPANY 
SPECIFY ALPHA AND BE SU&E 
1000% Returns From 
the use of a Hercules Stump Puller. 
Bumper crops instead of stumps. Big: 
money in place of taxes. 51,200 from 40 
acres the first year—S750 in extra crops 
every year after. Get the catalog: of the 
Trinl#» 
Hercules 
Genuine Steel 
Stump Puller 
You can clear an acre 
of stumps a day. 30 days’ 
free trial. Guaranteed 3 
years. Special Introduc¬ 
tory price proposition. 
Write today for 
big free catalog. 
JIFO. CO, 
22nd St. 
Centerville, 
Iowa 
WE I I drilling 
W L LL MACHINES 
. Over 70 sizes and styles, for drilling either deep or 
'shallow wells in any kind of soil or rock. Mounted on 
wheels or on sills. With enginesor horse powers. Strong, 
simple and durable. Any mechanic can operate them 
easily. Send for catalog. 
WILLIAMS BROS., Ithaca, N. Y. 
Monarch Guaranteed 
[Monarch Steel 
Stump 
Rost In the World*-Send for Proof 
It’s beat in material, best in con- ^ 
Btruction. Far ahead of all on nn- w ^ c 0 Y 
provementA. Made in our own factory, vt>vvyy *w'\“ 
backed by 20 years’ experience. V* > 
Stump Pulling j 
now easy work [ 
Our new dou- I 
bio and triple I 
power m a - I 
I chines with latest improvements mako stump pulling easy. | 
Clear from 1 to 6 acres per day. 
Don’t Buy the Ordinary Kind—Investigate tho Monarch 
Compare the Mighty Monarch with tho ordinary stump I 
puller. T^st it. Find out about tho improvements and I 
equipment wo give you. Send for catalog and guarantee. S 
Zimmerman Steel Co. • Dept. NT* Lone Tree Iowa J 
Send for Free Book on Cleaning and 
Grading Grain. Thon ask for tho sizo 
machine you want, send $1.00 and I’ll 
1914 Model Chatham, freight pre- 
with special screens and riddles for 
Grasses and Weed Seed where 
you live. Give it a month's hard test. If 
not satisfied, send it back and got your $1 
If satisfied, pay mo any time beforo 1914 
CHATHAM Grain 
Handles all grains and 
grass seeds; takes out 
weed seed; separates mixed grains; 
leaves big, pure seed. Over 300,- 
000 Chathams in use, and every 
owner satisfied! Write a postal 
now for my FREE copyrighted 
book, "The Chatham System of 
Breeding Big Crops;", descrip¬ 
tion, prico, terms, etc Address 
nearest office. Dept. <J3> 
MANSON CAMPBELL CO. 
Detroit, Kansas City, Minneapolis 
For your oountry homo—farm, gar* 
* - - ‘—*—— ->ona 
ter when and 
where you want it. 
den, lawn. Water pumped from nearby stream, pond 
or spring without expense of power. Low in ooat; high 
In efficiency. Thousand a of thefe 
FOSTER High Duty Ram Pumps 
nowin use. Write today for all lacte. 
POWER 8PKCIALTY' CO., Ill 
York 
You can’t make an old stable with dirt floors ^nd wood partiti 
sanitary. Wood partitions gather dust and disease germs. Dirt li 
with their tramped-in filth should never come within a stone’s thro 
your milk pail. When a cow gets off her feed and her milk yield 
below normal, look to your stable. It may be as clean as you ean r 
it; but that may not be clean enough. Equip your stab 
The Lo 
then profits will not fall off. The best treated cow gives the most 
milk—the best milk—the richest milk. She appreciates light and air, 
and you get your money back for making her home modern. 
Put a LOUDEN LITTER CARRIER to work behind her. Your 
boys or your man will clean the barns in less time with less labor. 
We have been fitting up barns for fifty years. We will be glad to sug¬ 
gest what you need without any expense to you. Send for catalog; 
tell number of cows you have and submit rough sketch of stable. 
LOUDEN MACHINERY COMPANY, 296 Broadway, Fairfield, Iowa 
