THE OUTBREAK IN KANSAS. 
61 
SERIOUS SUGGESTIONS. 
If this disease is due to ergot poison, why then is this the 
first outbreak, since the Kansas farmers have fed this same kind of 
hay to their cattle from the first settlement of the State ? Again, 
on Mr. Goodrich’s farm, where the disease prevails, the lands are 
improved by cultivation, and there is no ergotized rye in this hay. 
Yet, out of ninety-six cattle, forty head of young stock are re¬ 
ported affected with the disease. Then, stranger to say, Mr. 
Beard has fed seventy-five head of cattle all winter on hay that 
is full of ergot, of which 1 present you a sample taken from his 
feed-rack, and only three heifers and one old cow are affected. 
Stranger still for the ergot theory, Mr. Pribbenow fed one hun¬ 
dred and ninety-five cattle on millet hay and corn-fodder, and he 
has fourteen of his young stock affected. 
Another puzzle is presented by Mr. Keith buying sixty-three 
head of young stock from Mr. Davis, on the 15th of December, 
and on the 23d nearly all were down with disease. Keith’s hay 
contains ergotized rye. Davis lias had no sickness in his herd. 
I took the opportunity to visit nearly all the farms adjoining 
those having sick cattle, and found that more or less ergotized 
rye can be found in the hay, and yet they had no sick or lame 
cattle. 
The experiments of Dr. Samuel Wright, recorded in Finlay 
Dun’s Veterinary Medicines, show the effect of ergot on the lower 
animals. 
When given in large doses, the effect is to produce nausea, 
impaired appetite, weak, irregular pulse, diarrhoea, excessive fetor 
of secretions and excretions, paralysis of the hinder extremities, 
enlargement of the liver, contraction of the spleen, impairment of 
the senses, wasting and general debility. 
It does not, however, as in man, cause gangrene in the ex¬ 
tremities. 
None of these symptoms were found among the sick cattle of 
Keitz .—From the Democratic Leader , Cheyenne , Wyom. T. 
