870 
NEW VETERINARY COLLEGE. 
I have in the next place to draw your attention to what is just now 
agitating the public mind, namely, the Texas or splenic fever, which is 
said to have been discovered at Birkenhead in American cattle. 
This, according to the description and history, is a most remarkable 
disease, and differs from all other known maladies in being communicated 
by apparently healthy Texan cattle to cattle of other breeds with which 
they may come in contact, or which may feed on pastures contaminated 
with the excreta of the Texan beasts. “ Animals which are thus infected,” 
says Professor Brown in his last report, “ suffer and die at the rate of 90 
per cent. ; but they are not capable of infecting other cattle ”—in other 
words, Texan cattle in the most robust state of health communicate a 
disease which proves fatal to 90 per cent, of other than Texan cattle; 
but here the matter ends, for these diseased cattle are incapable of 
further propagating the malady, or, according to Professor Brown, 
“ The poison is rendered harmless by entering the system of any but a 
Texan beast, or probably it may be more correct to say that only Texan 
cattle have the power of excreting the poison of the disease.” 
The above opinion is founded upon a report by Professor Gamgee, who 
studied the disease in 1868; but there are some remarkable facts 
brought out in evidence, one of which I will venture to bring before 
you; 211 Texan cattle were driven to a farm in the vicinity of Fran- 
cesville, Indiana, arriving there on the 26th May, 1867, in fine condition. 
They were brought in immediate contact with the native cattle on the 
farm, and allowed to mingle and intermingle in grazing for about six 
weeks, no disease making its appearance. 
“ About this time a Mr. Blair purchased another lot of 337 Texan cattle, 
which were immediately driven to his farm in this country. They were 
also from the frontier, and were in excellent condition. Like the others, 
they were placed upon old grazing ground, and native cattle were per¬ 
mitted to mingle with them and to graze upon the same ground with and 
after them. This herd was placed for quite a number of days in a large 
pasture which was reserved for milch cows. After they were removed 
therefrom the milch cows were immediately returned thereto, and have 
been grazing therein ever since, and no disease has made its appearance 
as yet (September 23rd, 1868). 
“On the 1st July this herd was moved on to aground opposite to that 
on which the lot of 211, already mentioned, were grazing, a small brook, 
which becomes nearly extinct in dry weather, only intervening. About 
two weeks after Mr. Blair’s cattle had been placed on this ground, the 
weather became extremely hot; and the season being previously very 
dry, the water was speedily dried up in the creek, except where it 
stood in stagnant pools, from which the cattle had to drink it, and the 
grass became dry and parched, unfit for food. Cattle suffered gi'eatly 
from the extreme heat, and received but little nutriment from the dried 
grass which they ate and the stagnant water which they drank. Their 
systems being thus depressed by these adverse causes were rich resorts 
for any disease, the germs of which were present. 
“On the 27th July a number of native cattle sickened; some died 
suddenly, others lingered for six or eight days. From the day on 
which the disease first manifested itself it appeared successively among 
all the cattle that were allowed at any time to wander and graze over 
the ground whereon Texan cattle were kept; and nothing could save 
the cattle after the fearful symptoms of the disease had made their 
appearance. The only positively safe remedy was soon found to be a 
preventive—namely, confining Texan cattle closely upon their grounds, 
not allowing them to be moved about from one place to another, and to 
