OKLAHOMA AGRICULTURAL

STILLWATER, -

EXPERIMENT STATION,

- OKLAHOMA.

Special Bulletin No.L—©ctober, 1892.

■Gazette J ob Print, St/’/lwater.



HISTORY.—J. C. NEAL.

July 6th of this year in a pasture
one mile south and one mile west,
three cattle died rather suddenly,
with suspicious symptoms of the
disease commonly known as the
Texas Cattle Fever—or, as it is
named by Dr. Salmon, the U. S.
veterinarian, the Southern Cattle
fever, or splenetic fever.

July 15, in a pasture three and
one half miles north, and one east,
some nine head of cattle Sickened
almost simultaneously and four
died.

July 22, three cattle died, some
three and one-half miles south, and
in the early part of September, just
east of the town of Still water about
twenty cattle died that had all been
in a close prairie pasture.

A few days after this four more
died one and one-half miles east,
about the 20th one died one mile
south, and the last of the month
three more died four miles east.

Here and there, within a radius
of ten miles were a number of sin
gle cases—enough to make the epi.
demic worthy oi consideration, and
an investigation. At the instance
of the Board of Health, and with
the advice and consent of the Gov-
ernor and the president of the Board
of	Regen ts of the Experiment

Station, I telegraphed S. M. Fran-
cis, I). y. S.y of the Texas Agricul-
tural College, and his report to me,
with comments, was ordered print
jed as a special bulletin.

REP

For a nominal sum the owner
consented to having the steer killed.

On post mortem examination we
found the blood thin and watery.
On removing the skin the fat ap-
peared yellow.

The heart and respiratory or-
gans were normal. The abdomen
contained a moderate quantity of
serum, the fat here was also yellow
and two nematodes were noticed
tree in the cavity, these were prob-
ably Filaria terebrae. The digestive
organs were next examined.

The paunch contained a moder
ate quantity of food, the second
stomach was normal. The contents
of the third stogiach were harder
and dryer than normal.

The mucous membrane of the
fourth stomach showed a marked
congestion; also some erosions ot the
epithelium. The small intestine
appeared normal except near the
Hio caecal valve, where the mucous
membrane showed marked conges-
tion. The caecum showed also a
congestion of its mucous membrane.
The mucous membrane of the rec-
tum and posterior two feet of the
large intestine was also congested,
especially the rugae, with a tenden
cy to a dark color along the sum
mil. The liver was not weighed,
but seemed enlarged, and was yel-
low from bile injection. The gall
bladder contained a large quantity
oi thicK, lumpy bile. These lumps
were probably broken down liver
tissue.

LP1 _b

ireosote or kerosene. This should j grasses or weeds. The young ticks,

A 41 t k IlDTi t/t	aI' f U /v i i	.

applied to those portions of the
ody attacked.

It is also probable that a mixture
if sulphur and salt if consumed by
1]e cattle will prevont their attack
0 some extent.

fill. Curative treatment.-Mo-
Imnal treatment has not been sat- .,

factory. The use of salts, quinine, ] the cattle> and a st0P t0 wbat mu8t
“c acid and other subsiances be a considerable drain upon vital

forces. Curry or pick off the larger

hatching from these eggs, could at-
tach themselves to susceptible cat-
tle and so propagate the disease.
Even if this theory be not eventu-
ally demonstrated to be correct, to
destroy the ticks will be a relief to

icaaetui ^

cabolic

It

lHve been followed by varying re-
sults. With calves and yearlings
we can expect a recovery, but with
matured animals, especially if they
ajre fat and of the Durham and
Eereiord breed, they usually die.
lihe few that recover do not thrive

M.

f I have had encouraging results
pom the use of internal antiseptics,
jil judiciously administered.

| It is as follows:	When the first

symptoms of fever appear, and
these are easily detected by the al-
most characteristic attitude, the
pooping ears, etc., give a table-
Ipoonful of the following mixture
f n one half pint ot water:

Salol,...............4	oz.

Iodol,	.....	l	oz.

Benzol	-----	4	oz,

Alcohol,	- - - -	12	oz.

Mix.

The frequency of the dose will
ary with the temperature. Our
Mm has always been to keep the tem
]»erature within reasonable bounds.
|ii his can only be determined by the
frequent use of the thermometer.

The spleen was enlarged to twice The above was first suggested to
its normal size, was discolored and W know,edge by Dr. Paquin of
its tissue broken down, so it yield #i8s0uri-
ed readily to slight	n»*«	4; I have

pressure with 1 1 have used this in almost one
the finger. The kit around the kid-*|§undred cases with encouraging re-
neys was intensely yellow. The*W,t8*'

glands were free irom their eapsule^ff ^ reraain, sir, at your service,
and when opened showed markec^x]	Francis,

congestion and a broken down confriM Veterinarian Texas Exp. Station.

0cir 4nras2r

,, . ........................

follow.ng report ot my inveaUga- ti,/,,

^ have no access to the papers

the tattle ot Lj'reeCorOkla“"',‘,’,!lf	VHem W“ »°. «*•

dmease had broken out I arrived L ra	confirmed uur di-

here Sept 30 th.	’	*	ot Texa* «mle lever.

In the afternoon of the same day torvTAh?11 )d'SCUP18io!' ot the his-
we vmited a herd of cattle four -n ^ .oUhly disease, of the theories
miles east of town. There we found	gal'°'IW re«ard to

a number of sick animalaUiha,Tr*° "alUre*. of .	«»**> area

three had died. From the hisforv , permanent infection, of its

of the herd and the cliTMcal evidence irt8rldura0tionnCUibatl°n’ CaUSe’

presented by the sick animals the ti.M 7	’• Us mortality, etc.,

disease was pronounced Texas’ «ai ’ L . #ad.er ,1s re'Ierred to 'jhe re-
tie fever. H cea iexas cat- port of the Metropolitan Board of

Saturday, Oct. 1st, we visited a	U W"’ ^ ^

herd five or six miles south oltnwn A 1	, in* U. b. Department of

and found that a number had died	‘d* H '	7

here also, the remainder ofthe herd	J‘ 1>ut,M‘'ra; U- 8.

were in the brush of a draw to avoid Iht	\ Import ot 78 and 79;

the flies. These cattle refused ^ OT1 01 Dr‘ P- «• B.Hings, de-
leave the brush but with some diffi L| d/p xi,er,me"*f Station; report
cully I think I saw the entire herd m ° of’ Pa9u,lb Missouri Experi-
but tailed to detect any eviM.ce of’ R StaJ,0An’.,‘“d “*«	ot the

disease among them. ^	uieau of Animal Industry, Wash

The next day Oct. 2nd was Sun '‘ft0"’, ^t°‘ u
day. On Monday Oct. 3rd we visit under t,eat[,lentwhould be discussed
ed .1,, herdeoJo,, rrid.yThVX c.iuvi ’ ^ »"""•<"* ««

Z,„ Z °"e ‘b“ ’"’nld	I. Preventipe treatment.—It i.

The latter presented the follow H^ f Chovyn Hiat tbe fixing of cat

ing symptoms: Bed Durham steer the^ r	w,,h tho“e

2 years old, in good flesh had been’	lnfeoied districts during the

sick five days.	?	^ mmer months, will probably re-

The animal was standing with amon'ff the^h eak T°f -the disease
e nose almost toiodLitwr t iw, a.__il , g the latter. It is therefore

lienuoned by Dr. Francis, it may
je well to give a brief synopsis of
fie symptoms attending the course
# this cattle disease.

| There was probably an interval
|f two weeks between the exposure
d the first indication of the trou-
le, but in the cases in this county
t ere is a mystery attending the

insects. Do not drop them on the
pasture or pen, but collect and burn
them. Then rub thoroughly all in-
fested places upon the animals twice
a week with the following mixture:

Lard, -	-	- ten parts,

Kerosene, - -	- one part,

Flour oi sulphur, one part,

And keep in suitable boxes, where
the cattle can have easy access, $
quantity of this tonic mixture:

Salt, -	-	-	2 pounds.

Sulphur, - ■	- J-2 pound,

Saltpeter, - -	J-4 pound,

Copperas, -	- 1-8 pound.

The usual drenchings of ailing
animMs with linseed oil, lard, kero-
sene, soap, soda, salts, tobacco, aru}
the forcing down a chunk of salt
pork to ^restore the cud,v are men-
tioned to be utterly condemned as
not only useless but harmful.

Stimulant and aniiseptic meas-
ures rather are indicated —some-
thing to allay fever and keep
the heart action from flagging. In
the period of first attack, 1 would
suggest moderate doses of quinine,
digitalis and alcohol as worthy of

outbreak, as the infected pastures

aie widely separated, some not on
frequented roads, on isolated farms,
aid the cattle herded there con
tiiiuously for several months. The
fim thing noted in these cases was
a l*ok of energy—the ailing ones
falling to the rear when driven —
then a drooped head and ears, loss
of bud, loss of appetite, a stagger-
ingjgait produced by failure ol co-

:i::=«....««...

p«t	rrr.r’S-* *	■

per minute; lemperaiure l(l4°F“ I ewM.lZ™*0*17 U"ed bp ««“»»*-
hina legs well under the body &tt'd infected and	8.howi,,« the

knuekling at Lhefetlookti. Urine was

e	- - - v.	v i nit? VV ao

red and voided in large quantity.
The animal paid no attention to his
surroundings, or to the great num-

him 0< fl'eS thUt W6re altacki"g

These consisted of the ordinary
slock flies and a great number of
“horn flies,” the bases of ,he horn8
were black from fhe latter. The skin
was covered with quite a number
ol cattle ticks.

ern cattle.

i . tt o. n°n	areas^ ap-

ply to U. S. Department of Agri
culture, Washington, D. C.

It is probable that the cattle
ticks have something to do with
the transmission of the disease in
question. As these ticks are an an-
noyance to the cattle, they should
be kept off. Destroy the ticks!

inis requires constant care and
labor. They are readily
with oils or any greasy sui
mixed with sulphur, carhojj

cation of the legs, rapid breath
great increase of heat, drooling
of thick saliva, staring and blood-
eyes, dark, thin, claret-colored
e, bending inward of the legs,

shot

urin

twitphings of the skin, prostration,

ponally delirium, pawing of
4,ont feet with backward curva-
f the head and neck just be-
eath—this last symptom was
characteristic. All of
tile were badly infested
ks.

fs long bebn a prevalent
opunfl among cattle owners here
^baf 1?ip some way these pests are
0r^*nlitC>r8 and carriers of this
fever, Band recent experiments tend
tG JU	tbis beJieb this theory

be trull, many disputed points are
at onc,l{ cleared up. It is easily seen
tbM mature female tick dropping
l&eased cattle along a road or
tsiure could jay eggs on

trial, though the history of these
cases is not hopeful for the recovery
of old or fat cattle, of improved
breeds when attacked,

Having the tick theory in view,
it occurs to me that it would be
well to burn off roadways as early
as possible in the fall ofthe year,
as well as infected pastures. When
the pasture is closely grazed down,
it would not be amiss to scatter
straw thinly over the roadway be-
fore burning. Any insects clinging
to the grass would thus be 4e*
stroyed.

I note also that the cattle in many
places are not well kept, from a
sanitary point of view. In one
pasture there were twenty cattle
where there should have been but
five, and the grasses were eaten in-
to the ground in places. Thii, with
shallow pools of water in a draw—
water foul with excrement, and full
of microscopic organisms—was sim-
ply inviting disease; disease that
means danger to the consumers of
either milk or flesh from cattle so
environed, No wonder when the
germs of splenetic fever were super-
added that such cattle died.

There ought to be a law for the
inspection oi milk and meat that
would take note of these things and
forbid the sale of milk, or slaughter
of cattle from such faulty surround-
ings, It ought to go even farther,
and compel owners ot herds lo fur-
nish plenty at least of pure water
for stock, on the ground of public
policy, not to say anjMhing about
the manifest cruelty to dumb brutes
that now exists.

The Experiment Station desires
correspondence with parties inter-
ested in this subject, especially with
reference to the Tick as a probable
carrier of this disease, and any rem-
edies that have seemed to be effec-
tual in prevention or cure.555 4

S3 H