1 Mar. 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JovRNAL. 227 
TEXAS FEVER PROBLEMS.—III. 
The losses with the first shipment of dipped cattle to Illinois unfortunately 
did not cease when the animals reached their destination, but continued for 
some time afterward; and according to information furnished by Mr. C. P. 
Johnson, Secretary of the Illinois State Board of Live-stock Commissioners, 
the total reached thirty-two head. 
A. second lot of about 190 head of yearling and two-year-old steers were 
dipped at Fort Worth, Tex., 24th September, for the same gentleman that 
shipped the first lot, Mr. B. B. Page, Rockford, Ill. These were immediately 
loaded in well-bedded cars and shipped to Rockford. They reached Galesburg, 
IIL, in good condition ; not a single animal had been down up to that time. 
At Aurora, Iil., an apparently inexperienced train crew was put in charge, and 
instead of making the run from there to Rockford in two or three hours they 
were ten hours on the road. The train was handled very roughly, with con- 
tinual switching and sudden starts and stops, throwing, bruising, and exhausting 
the cattle, which were already very tired from their long journey. As a result 
nine head died before reaching destination, and others were severely injured. 
The living cattle were seen by Dr. Norgaard, 10th October, when twenty-four 
head had died, and a number of those remaining were stiff, and the skin of 
these was peeling off over the neck and shoulders. Some were still suffering 
from irritation of the eyes, and only a small percentage were entirely unaffected. 
The ticks were all destroyed. : 
Jn examining the sick and dead animals the State Veterinarian discovered 
the very interesting and important fact that they all suffered from acute ‘Texas 
fever. This conclusion was confirmed by an examination of specimens after- 
ward sent to the Bureau of Animal Industry by Mr. Page. The total loss out 
of this shipment was twenty-six head. 
On 4th November, there were dipped at National Stockyards, Ill, 151 
head of cattle in one lot, and seventy-two calves in another lot. Both of these 
lots afterward developed considerable irritation of the skin, and by 14th 
November there had been lost fifteen head of the larger jot and eight head of 
the calves. Dr. J. W. Connoway examined the calves, and found that they 
were affected with acute Texas fever. 
Another lot of cattle which suffered severely was dipped at Fort Worth, 
Tex., 13th September, and taken to Midland, Tex., where they arrived in 
apparently good condition. There were 110 yearlings and. two-year-olds in 
this bunch. The weather was very warm, and four days after dipping two 
yearlings were found dead. ‘The fifth day one was dead and several sick, and 
the sixth day two dead. At the end of three weeks twenty-four had died. 
Secretary Edwards, of Oklahoma, informs me that from 9,000 to 10,000 
head have been dipped in that territory with an estimated loss of from 100 to 
125, confined to cattle in poor condition. There have been dipped at Fort 
Worth, Tex., about 1,500 head, in addition to the Illinois shipments, and it is 
reported that losses have only occurred in two lots. One of these has already 
been referred to as going to Midland, Tex.; the other appears to have been a 
large bunch that went to the Indian Territory and gave rise to the alarming 
Press reports recently published. It was at first stated that fifty head had 
died, but investigation reduced this number to four. The remainder were said: 
to have been injured, and more may have died since reports were made. fi 
The aggregate results of the year’s dipping would appear to be about 
12,000 dipped, with a loss of about 240 head. This is equal to 2 per cent., and 
if the injury to those which survived has not been permanent or has not 
interfered materially with their subsequent gain the method would still be of 
great value. It has always been asserted by southern cattle-dealers that from 
2 dollars to 3 dollars a head were lost on “quarantine” stock because it does 
not haye a free market. If we admit that the dipped cattle have an average 
yalue of 35 dollars, a loss of two out of each 100 would equal 70 dollars, or 
about 714 cents for each animal remaining alive. ‘The other expenses of 
dipping might increase this to about 1 dollar.per head. IE the statements as 
