522 
SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
route or in confinement, they have been fed too much cotton 
seed meal. 
The farmer and feeder when questioned says, “ Yes, cotton 
seed is a good feed for fattening cattle, but it often makes them 
go blind. Their eyes turn white.” 
I was unable to learn what particular preparation of the seed 
was fed to the cattle described. How long were they put on 
this feed ? What quantity did they receive per head, and was 
cotton seed used exclusively or with other food, are all questions 
that cannot be answered in this paper. They would certainly 
constitute important data that would throw much light on the 
condition described. 
I believe that in many instances cotton cake meal was fed 
exclusively. It was substituted for corn and fed to the cattle in 
the cars. In some of the empty cars there was seen the cotton 
seed hulls. 
It is probable that animals showing acute symptoms from 
being fed on cotton seed exclusively while in confinement, and 
where the external fat is a dark yellow color, that we hear the 
flavor of the beef is not relished ; that it is inferior to corn-fed 
beef. This should be further demonstrated before accepted to 
be true of all animals fattened on cotton seed. Fatty degenera¬ 
tion and infiltiation of the tissues with the excess of oily sub¬ 
stance, doubtless occurs to some extent. 
The swelling of the limbs, the continued venous pulse, and 
the hurried respiration, show that the action of the heart is very 
weak. 
It appears difficult, at first, to account for the excessively high 
temperature in many of these animals. Weak action of the heart 
and depression of the vaso-motor centres decreases the external 
circulation and the heat of chemical change in the tissues in ex¬ 
cess, because the heat producing cotton seed aliment which is 
not radiated from the surface but confined in the interior tissues 
and membranes may explain it. 
Micro-organisms that produce fevers, both specific and non¬ 
specific in character, are doubtless constantly entering the sys¬ 
tem, but if the body is in normal health, the resisting vital 
forces render them passive or inert. When this vitality is low¬ 
ered and the circulation is very weak, toxine producers immedi¬ 
ately become active and fever is soon apparent. 
It is known that many animals fed on cotton seed become 
blind. The acute symptoms are not often seen, as they are of 
brief duration, but it is believed that they are intimately con- 
