104 THE “ MAD ITCH 33 OF CATTLE IN AMERICA. 
There are several diseases in this part of the world which 
are very interesting to study, and I cannot help thinking 
that an account of some of them might be interesting to 
the readers of the Veterinarian at home. As yet, however, 
I have not had sufficient opportunity of thoroughly master¬ 
ing them, and the authorities here on veterinary matters being 
almost exclusively M.D.’s, their descriptions of the nature 
of disease are more calculated to mislead than to instruct. 
There is one disease, in particular, in cattle which causes 
serious losses to agriculturists of which I should like your 
opinion if I am not asking too much. The affection is known as 
“ mad itch,” and by the authorities before alluded to it is said 
to be closely allied to typhus. It occurs only in the fall of 
the year, when the farmers commence cutting the Indian 
corn. The common practice is to go through the corn as it 
stands in the field and husk it, leaving the small ears on 
the stalk. The cattle are then either turned into the field 
or the stalks are cut and hauled into the pasture, when both 
cattle and hogs are allowed to feed on them. Now it gene¬ 
rally happens that at this season of the year the pastures 
are very bare, and, consequently, the animals feed greedily, 
and live exclusively on this kind of fodder. In about eight 
or ten days from this time the disease makes its appearance. 
The first indication of any disturbance to health is diar¬ 
rhoea, accompanied with symptoms common to derangement 
of the digestive organs,but as these are generally not of a serious 
kind, they often pass almost unheeded. The next symptom 
which is observed is, that the beast commences to violently rub 
its head or sides of the face against any convenient thing for 
the purpose. This peculiar irritation about the head is asso¬ 
ciated with more or less cerebral disturbance. It has sin¬ 
gularly happened that in the cases which have come under my 
notice this irritation was almost entirely confined to the left 
side of the face and the under jaw. The rubbing of the 
part increases to such an extent that the face is soon denuded 
not only of hair but of large patches of skin, and the head 
becomes a shapeless mass. At no period of the disease, how¬ 
ever, is the animal delirious. As might be expected, spas¬ 
modic twitchings of the muscles, principally of the head and 
neck, are associated with this state of things. These with other 
concomitant symptoms increase until the animal becomes 
worn out, and dies, not unfrequently in from twenty-four to 
forty-eight hours. 
As yet I have only had an opportunity of making one post¬ 
mortem examination, and in this case the carcase had been 
greatly torn and partly devoured by hogs. I found the first 
