522 
NEWS AND ITEMS. 
Dr. A. W. Clement, State Veterinarian, has returned from a 
visit to the Eastern Shore, where there is an epidemic among 
horses which has already caused the death of over looo of them. 
Dr. Clement says the disease threatens to become epidemic 
throughout the State. He said to-day : ‘ I am almost certain 
the disease is caused by horses eating some poisonous vegetable 
matter. This theory is supported by the fact that the disease is 
almost entirely confined to horses which had been allowed to 
roam around in pastures. The horses are suddenly affected 
with the disease. They refuse to eat, gradually grow weaker, 
and are finally stricken with paralysis, and die within forty- 
eight hours. Post-mortem examinations on these horses show 
an inflamed and congested condition of the stomach, suggestive 
of death by poisoning. The disease has appeared in the high¬ 
lands of Hartford county, where the water is of the purest 
quality.’ ” 
Grand Rapids Veterinary Coleege. —From the Grand 
Rapids (Michigan) Herald we learn that a new veterinary 
school is about to be established in that city with a two-year- 
course. It appears to be the outcome of the Detroit School ex¬ 
tending its course to three years, and it is claimed that many of 
the Detroit students will go to this school, where they can 
graduate at the end of one year. The proposed faculty is as fol¬ 
lows : Dean and professor of surgical pathology, Schuyler C. 
Graves, M.D.; professor of veterinary jurisprudence. Major E. 
C. Watkins; professor of physics, chemistry, canine practice, 
and veterinary medicine, Hugh Rutherford, S.D., D.M., D.V.S.; 
professor of bacteriology and histology, J. B. Whinery, M.D.; 
professor of surg^ery, obstetrics, and horse-shoeiug, William Rose, 
V.S.; professor of materia medica and therapeutics, O. L. Dale, 
M.D.; professor of comparative physiology, E. Bighani, 
M.D.; professor of anatomy and dental surgery, M. Elzinga, 
D. V.S.; demonstrator of surgery, R. Peterson, M.D. The back¬ 
ers of the school are E. C. Watkins, E. E. Conkey, Geo. Hare, 
Hugh Rutherford and three or four others. The State of Mich¬ 
igan has just gotten rid of one two-term school, and here is an¬ 
other to perplex the cause of higher education. 
Horse Stock of the Country. —According to the “Year 
Book ” of the United States Department of Agriculture, issued 
a short time ago, there are 14,364,667 horses in the United 
States. Kentucky is credited with 400,879, valued at $13,056,- 
621, average $32.57 per head. In Texas there are i,i6o,iot, 
worth $20,571,962, average $17.73 ; Iowa, 1,087,492, value $31,- 
