THE RECENT CATTLE DISEASE IN KANSAS. 
257 
ergot, as that depends so much on accessories like the other feed, 
drink, and surroundings, that better conditions will sometimes 
render it comparatively harmless. Even in Mr. Beard’s herd 
only four animals out of seventj'-five suffered, and considering the 
amount of ergot in the hay, this is probably to be explained by 
the abundant supply of water from a rapid in the river which 
never froze over. 
3d. The six experimental cattle placed on Mr. Keith’s prem¬ 
ises were attacked with diarrhea, transient fever, and an eruption 
in the mouth, though supplied with swamp hay quite clear of 
ergot. It must be taken into account, however, that they were 
first placed for seven days in a yard with Keith’s cattle, where 
they had free access to the ergoted hay. The second lot of four 
experimental cattle, which were kept in the same yard with access 
to the ergoted hay for twenty-four hours only, had a slight and 
transient elevation of temperature on the third day, but no sores 
of mouth, feet, nor teats. The sheep that had no access to the 
hay at any time entirely escaped. The fact that the cattle suffer¬ 
ed in degree proportionate to the opportunity for the ingestion 
of the ergoted hay strongly suggests this as the cause of the 
trouble. 
4th. Certain calves suffered which’ were too young to have 
eaten any ergoted hay. Thus at O’Toole’s a calf had its mouth 
badly affected, though kept in a park on the opposite side of the 
road from that occupied by the diseased cows and ergoted hay. 
Its sick dam was, however, admitted to suckle it twice daily. At 
Keith’s a calf died with intestinal inflammation after sucking the 
sore teats of its dam, which suffered from sloughing feet, tail, 
and ear. Again, at Frebinow’s, a five days old calf, nursed by a 
cow with feet in a gangrenous condition, had disease of the mouth 
and interdigital space. 
In estimating the value of such cases it is noteworthy that 
Ilensinger (Path. Comp., Yol. I, p. 484) states that “infants at 
the breast have often suffered more than the mothers, who had 
made use of the ergot.” Bruce, speaking from the English stand¬ 
point, and with less experience of the disease, says that “ infants 
at the breast are never attacked ” (Diet, of Med). There is a 
