Cattle and Their Diseases Part 17

10 indisposed, " 21.73 "

17 animals cured, " 36.95 "

4 dead, " 8.98 "

Of the forty-two animals which were exposed in the first experiments at Pomeraye and Charentonneau, and which escaped either without becoming affected, or recovering, eighteen were submitted to a second trial; and of these eighteen animals, five had, in the first experiment, suffered from the disease and had recovered; five had now become affected; and four had been indisposed. The four animals submitted to the influence of contagion a third time, had been affected on the occasion of the first trial. None of the eighteen animals contracted the disease during these renewed exposures to the influence of contagion.

From the results of these experiments, the commission drew the following conclusions:--

_1stly._ The epizootic pleuro-pneumonia is susceptible of being transmitted from diseased to healthy animals by cohabitation.

_2dly._ All the animals exposed do not take the disease; some suffer slightly, and others not at all.

_3dly._ Of the affected animals, some recover and others die.

_4thly._ The animals, whether slightly or severely affected, possess an immunity against subsequent attacks.

These are the general conclusions which the commission deemed themselves authorized to draw from their experiments. The absolute proportion of animals which become affected, or which escape the disease, or of those which die and which recover, as a general rule, cannot be deduced from the foregoing experiments, which, for such a purpose, are too limited.

The commission simply state the numbers resulting from their experiments. From these it transpires that forty five of the animals became severely affected with pleuro-pneumonia, and twenty-one per cent.

took the disease slightly, making the whole sixty-six per cent. which were more or less severely attacked. Thirty-four per cent. remained free from any malady. The proportion of animals which re-acquired their wonted appearance of health amounted to eighty-three per cent., whereas seventeen per cent. died. Many minor points might be insisted on, but it is sufficient here to say, that the most careful a.n.a.lysis of all facts has proved to practical veterinarians, as well as to experienced agriculturists, and must prove to all who will calmly and dispa.s.sionately consider the point, that pleuro-pneumonia is pre-eminently an infectious, or contagious disease.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE TWINS.]

_Symptoms._--From the time that an animal is exposed to the contagion to the first manifestation of symptoms, a certain period elapses. This is the period of incubation. It varies from a fortnight to forty days, or even several months. The first signs, proving that the animal has been seized, can scarcely be detected by any but a professional man; though, if a proprietor of cattle were extremely careful, and had pains-taking individuals about his stock, he would invariably notice a slight shiver as ushering in the disorder, which for several days, even after the shivering fit, would limit itself to slight interference in breathing, readily detected on auscultation. Perhaps a cough might be noticed, and that the appet.i.te and milk-secretion diminished. The animal becomes costive, and the shivering fits recur. The cough becomes more constant and oppressive; the pulse full and frequent, usually numbering about eighty per minute at first, and rising to upwards of one hundred. The temperature of the body rises, and all the symptoms of acute fever set in. A moan, or grunt, in the early part of the disease indicates a dangerous attack, and the _alae nasi_ (cartilages of the nose) rise spasmodically at each inspiration; the air rushes through the inflamed windpipe and bronchial tubes, so as to produce a loud, coa.r.s.e respiratory murmur; and the spasmodic action of the abdominal muscles indicates the difficulty the animal also experiences in the act of expiration. Pressure over the intercostal (between the ribs) s.p.a.ces, and pressing on the spine, induce the pain so characteristic of pleurisy, and a deep moan not infrequently follows such an experiment. The eyes are bloodshot, mouth clammy, skin dry and tightly bound to the subcutaneous textures, and the urine is scanty and high-colored.

Upon auscultation, the characteristic dry, sonorous _rale_ of ordinary bronchitis may be detected along the windpipe, and in the bronchial tubes. A loud sound of this description is, not infrequently, detected at the anterior part of either side of the chest; whilst the respiratory murmur is entirely lost, posteriorly, from consolidation of the lungs. A decided leathery, frictional sound is detected over a considerable portion of the thoracic surface. As the disease advances, and gangrene, with the production of cavities in the lungs, ensues, loud, cavernous _rales_ are heard, which are more or less circ.u.mscribed, occasionally attended by a decided metallic noise. When one lobe of the lungs is alone affected, the morbid sounds are confined to one side, and on the healthy side the respiratory murmur is uniformly louder all over.

By carefully auscultating diseased cows from day to day, interesting changes can be discovered during the animal's lifetime. Frequently, the abnormal sounds indicate progressive destruction; but, at other times, portions of the lungs that have been totally impervious to air, become the seat of sibilant _rales_, and gradually, a healthy respiratory murmur proves that, by absorption of the materials which have been plugging the tissues of the lungs, resolution is fast advancing. Some very remarkable cases of this description have been encountered in practice.

Unfortunately, we often find a rapid destruction of the tissues of the lungs, and speedy dissolution. In other instances, the general symptoms of hectic, or consumption, attend lingering cases, in which the temperature of the body becomes low, and the animal has a dainty appet.i.te, or refuses all nourishment. It has a discharge from the eyes, and a fetid, sanious discharge from the nose. Not infrequently, it coughs up disorganized lung-tissue and putrid pus. Great prostration, and, indeed, typhus symptoms, set in. There is a fetid diarrhoea, and the animal sinks in the most emaciated state, often dying from suffocation, in consequence of the complete destruction of the respiratory structures.

_Post mortem_ appearances.--In acute cases, the cadaverous lesions chiefly consist in abundant false membranes in the trachea, or windpipe, and closure of the bronchial tubes by plastic lymph. The air-vesicles are completely plugged by this material, and very interesting specimens may be obtained by careful dissection, in the shape of casts of the bronchial tubes and air-vesicles, cl.u.s.tered together like bunches of grapes. On slicing the lungs in these cases, hepatization is observed, presenting a very peculiar appearance, which is, in a great measure, due to the arrangement of the lung-tissue in cattle. The pulmonary lobules are of a deep-red or brown color, perfectly consolidated, and intersected or separated, one from the other, by lighter streaks of yellowish-red lymph, occupying the interlobular, areolar tissue. In the more chronic cases, the diseased lobes and lobules are found partly separated from the more healthy structures.

This occurs from gangrene, and putrefactive changes, or in some instances, from the ulcerative process, so constantly observed in the segregation of dead from living tissues. Abscesses are not infrequently found in different parts of the lungs. Sometimes circ.u.mscribed, at others connected with bronchial tubes, and not infrequently communicating with the pleural cavity. True empyema is not often seen; but, at all times, the adhesions between the costal and visceral pleura are extensive, and there is much effusion in the chest. In dressed carca.s.ses of cows that have been slaughtered from pleuro-pneumonia, even though the disease has not been far advanced, it will be found that the butcher has carefully sc.r.a.ped the serous membrane off the inner surface of the ribs, as it would otherwise be impossible for him to give the pleura its healthy, smooth aspect, from the firm manner in which the abundant false membranes adhere to it. The diseased lungs sometimes attain inordinate weight. They have been known to weigh as much as sixty pounds.

_Treatment._--The veterinary profession is regarded by many who have sustained heavy losses from pleuro-pneumonia, as deeply ignorant, because its members cannot often cure the disease. Persons forget that there are several epidemics which prove equally difficult to manage on the part of the physician, such as cholera, yellow fever, etc. The poison in these contagious, epizootic diseases is so virulent that the animals may be regarded as dead from the moment they are attacked. Its elimination from the system is impossible, and medicine cannot support an animal through its tardy, exhausting, and destructive process of clearing the system of so potent a virus. All antiphlogistic means have failed, such as blood-letting and the free use of evacuants.

Derivatives, in the form of mustard-poultices, or more active blisters, are attended with good results. Stimulants have proved of the greatest service; and the late Prof. Tessona, of Turin, strongly recommended, from the very onset of the disease, the administration of strong doses of quinine. Maffei, of Ferrara, states that he has obtained great benefit from the employment of ferruginous tonics and manganese in the very acute stage of the malady, supported by alcoholic stimulants.

Recently, the advantages resulting from the use of sulphate of iron, both as a preventive and curative, have been exhibited in France. It would appear that the most valuable depurative method of treatment yet resorted to is by the careful use of the Roman bath. Acting, like all other sudorifics in cases of fever and blood diseases, it carries off by the skin much of the poison, without unduly lowering the vital powers.

_Prevention._--The rules laid down in Denmark, and indeed in many other places, appear the most natural for the prevention of the disease. If they could be carried out, the disease must necessarily be stopped; but there are practical and insuperable difficulties in the way of enforcing them. Thus, a Dr. Warneke says, prevention consists in "the avoidance of contagion; the slaughter of infected beasts; the prohibition of keeping cattle by those whose cattle have been slaughtered, for a s.p.a.ce of ten weeks after the last case occurring; the disinfection of stalls vacated by slaughtering; the closing of infected places to all pa.s.sing of cattle; especial attention to the removal of the dung, and of the remains of the carca.s.ses of slaughtered beasts; and, finally, undeviating severity of the law against violators."

Dr. Williams, of Ha.s.selt, suggested and carried out, in 1851, the inoculation of the virus of pleuro-pneumonia, in order to induce a mild form of the disease in healthy animals, and prevent their decimation by the severe attacks due to contagion. He met with much encouragement, and perhaps more opposition. Didot, Corvini, Ercolani, and many more accepted Dr. Williams's facts as incontestable, and wrote, advocating his method of checking the spread of so destructive a plague.

The first able memoir which contested all that has been said in favor of inoculation, appeared in Turin, and was written by Dr. Riviglio, a Piedmontese veterinary surgeon. This was supported by the views of many others. Prof. Simonds wrote against the plan, and, in 1854, the French commission, whose report has been before mentioned, confirmed, in part, Riviglio's views, though, from the incompleteness of the experiments, further trials were recommended.

Inoculation is performed as follows: A portion of diseased lung is chosen, and a bistoury or needle made to pierce it so as to become charged with the material consolidating the lung, and this is afterward plunged into any part, but, more particularly, toward the point of the tail. If operated severely, and higher up, great exudation occurs, which spreads upward, invades the areolar tissue round the r.e.c.t.u.m and other pelvic organs, and death soon puts an end to the animal's excruciating suffering. If the operation is properly performed with lymph that is not putrid, and the incisions are not made too deep, the results are limited to local exudation and swelling, general symptoms of fever, and gradual recovery. The most common occurrence is sloughing of the tail; and in London, at the present time, dairies are to be seen in which all the cows have short-tail stumps.

Dr. Williams and others have gone too far in attempting to describe a particular corpuscle as existing in the lymph of pleuro-pneumonia. All animal poisons can be alone discovered from their effects. In structure and chemical const.i.tution, there is no difference, and often the most potent poisons are simple fluids. The Belgian Commission, appointed to investigate the nature and influence of inoculation for pleuro-pneumonia, very justly expressed an opinion that Dr. Williams had not proved that a specific product, distinguished by anatomical characters, and appreciable by the microscope, existed in this disease.

The all-important question, "Is inoculation of service?" has to the satisfaction of most been solved. The Belgian and French commissions, the observations of Riviglio, Simond, Herring, and many others, prove that a certain degree of preservative influence is derived by the process of inoculation. It does not, however, arrest the progress of the disease. It certainly diminishes to some extent--though often very slightly so--the number of cases, and, particularly, of severe ones.

This effect has been ascribed to a derivative action, independent of any specific influence, and, indeed, similar to that of introducing setons in the dewlap.

In London, some dairymen have considerable faith in inoculation, though its effect is uncertain, and the manner of its working a mystery. The best counsel, in the premises, which can be given to the keeper of dairy stock is, to select his own animals from healthy herds, and strictly to avoid public markets. In many instances, a faithful observance of these injunctions has been sufficient to prevent the invasion of this terrible disease. [Gamgee.]

The existence of this disease in the United States was not generally known until the year 1859, when Mr. Chenery, of Belmont, near Boston, Ma.s.sachusetts, imported several cows from Holland, which arrived in the early part of the spring of that year. Some of the animals were sick when they arrived, but the true nature of the disease was not at that time suspected. Several of them were so bad that they were carried in trucks to Mr. Chenery's barn. Some two months pa.s.sed away before the character of the disease was discovered.

Upon the facts becoming known, the citizens of Ma.s.sachusetts became panic-stricken, as the disease was rapidly spreading over that State. An extra session of the Legislature was speedily convened, when a Joint Special Committee was appointed, to adopt and carry out such measures as in their judgment seemed necessary for the extirpation of this monster, pleuro-pneumonia.

The Committee met in the Hall of the House of Representatives, Thursday, May, 31, 1860, to receive evidence as to the contagious or infectious character of the disease, in order to determine concerning the necessity of legislative action.

Mr. Walker, one of the commissioners appointed by the Governor, made the following statement: "The disease was introduced into North Brookfield from Belmont. Mr. Curtis Stoddard, a young man of North Brookfield, went down, the very last of June, last year, and purchased three calves of Mr. Chenery, of Belmont. He brought these calves up in the cars to Brookfield. On their way from the depot to his house, about five miles, one of the calves was observed to falter, and when he got to his house, it seemed to be sick, and in two or three days exhibited very great illness; so much so, that his father came along, and, thinking he could take better care of it, took the calf home. He took it to his own barn, in which there were about forty head of cattle; but it grew no better, and his son went up and brought it back again to his own house. In about ten days after that, it died. His father, who had had the calf nearly four days, in about a fortnight afterward observed that one of his oxen was sick, and it grew worse very fast and died. Two weeks after, a second also sickened, and died. Then a third was attacked and died, the interval growing wider from the attack of one animal to that of another, until he had lost eight oxen and cows. Young Stoddard lost no animal by the infection,--that is, no one died on his hands. Prior to the appointment of this Commission, about the first of November,--for reasons independent of this disease, which I don't suppose he then knew the nature of,--he sold off his stock. He sold off eleven heifers, or young animals, and retained nine of the most valuable himself; which shows that he did not then know any thing was the matter with them.

"These nine were four oxen, and five young cattle. The four he took to his father's, three of the others to his uncle's, and the remaining two to his father-in-law's; distributing them all among his friends,--which furnishes another proof that he did not suppose he was doing any mischief. He disposed of his herd in that way. From this auction, these eleven animals went in different directions, and wherever they went, they scattered the infection. Without a single failure the disease has followed those cattle; in one case, more than two hundred cattle having been infected by one which was sold at Curtis Stoddard's auction, when he was entirely ignorant of the disease.

"When the commission was appointed, they went and examined his cattle, and were satisfied that they were diseased,--at least, some of them.

They examined his father's herd, and found that they were very much diseased; and when we came to kill Curtis Stoddard's cattle, seven of the nine head were diseased. Two were not condemned, because the law says, 'Cattle not appearing to be diseased, shall be appraised.'

Nevertheless, it proved that these animals were diseased; so that his whole herd was affected.

"In regard to Leonard Stoddard's cattle, he lost fourteen of his animals before the commissioners went to his place. They took eighteen more, all of which were diseased,--most of them very bad cases,--indeed, extreme cases. That left eight heads, which were not condemned, because not appearing to be diseased. Here I remark, that when this disease is under the shoulder-blade, it cannot be detected by percussion. The physicians did not say that the animal was not diseased, but that they did not see sufficient evidence upon which to condemn. Such animals were to be paid for, upon the ground of their not appearing to be diseased.

Nevertheless, it is proper to state that the remaining eight which were not condemned, were suspected to be diseased, and we told Mr. Stoddard that we had the impression that they were diseased, notwithstanding appearances. He said, 'There is a three-year-old animal that has never faltered at all. She has never manifested the slightest disease. If you will kill her, and she is diseased, I shall make up my mind that I have not a well animal in my stalls.' We killed the animal, and found her to be badly diseased.

"Thus, the first two herds were all infected by the disease; and in the last of Curtis Stoddard's oxen which we killed, we found a cyst in the lungs of each. One of these lungs is now in this building, never having been cut open, and medical men can see the cyst which it contains. I have said in what manner Mr. Curtis Stoddard's cattle spread the infection.

"In regard to Mr. Leonard Stoddard's: in the first place, he kept six or eight oxen which he employed in teaming. He was drawing some lumber, and stopped over night, with his oxen, at Mr. Needham's. Needham lost his whole herd. He lost eight or ten of them, and the rest were in a terrible condition. Seven or eight more were condemned, and his whole herd was destroyed, in consequence of Mr. Stoddard's stopping with him over night. Mr. Stoddard sold an animal to Mr. Woodis of New Braintree.

He had twenty-three fine cows. It ruined his herd utterly. Seven or eight animals died before the commissioners got there. Mr. L. Stoddard also sold a yoke of cattle to Mr. Olmstead, one of his neighbors, who had a very good herd. They stayed only five days in his hands, when they pa.s.sed over to Mr. Doane. In these five days they had so infected his herd that it was one of the most severe instances of disease that we have had. One third were condemned, and another third were pa.s.sed over as sound, whether they were so, or not. They did not appear to be diseased. The cattle that were pa.s.sed from Mr. Stoddard through Mr.

Olmstead to Mr. Doane, were loaned by Mr. D. to go to a moving of a building from Oakham to New Braintree. They were put in with twenty-two yoke of cattle, and employed a day and a half. It has since been proved that the whole of these cattle took the contagion. They belonged to eleven different herds, and of course, each of these herds formed a focus from which the disease spread. Now, in these two ways the disease has spread in different directions.

"But, when the commissioners first commenced, they had no idea that the disease extended further than those herds in which there were animals sick. Hence, their ideas and the ideas of those who pet.i.tioned for the law, did not extend at all to so large a number of herds as have since been proved to be diseased, because they only judged of those who manifested disease. As soon as we began in that circle, we found a second circle of infection, and another outside of that; and by that time it had branched off in various directions to various towns. It a.s.sumed such proportions that it was very evident that the commissioners had not the funds to perform the operations required by the law. The law confines the commissioners to one operation,--killing and burying. No discretionary power is given at all. The commissioners became entirely dissatisfied with that condition of things, because other measures besides merely killing and burying, are quite as necessary and important. When they arrived at that point and discovered to what extent the infection had spread, they stopped killing the herds, and I believe there has not been a herd killed for twenty days.

"The policy was then changed to circ.u.mscribing the disease, by isolating the herds just as fast as possible and as surely as possible. A man's herd has been exposed. There is no other way than to go and examine it, and take the diseased animals away. Then he knows the animals are diseased, and his neighbors know it. That has been the business of the commissioners for the last twenty days; and the facts that they have no discretionary power whatever, and that they were entirely circ.u.mscribed in their means, and that it was hard for the farmers to lose their stock and not be paid for it,--induced them to pet.i.tion the Governor, in connection with the Board of Agriculture, for the calling of a session of the Legislature, to take measures for the extinction of the disease."

In response to a question, "Whether any animals that had once been affected, had afterward recovered?"--the same gentleman stated that instances had occurred where cattle had been sick twice, and had, apparently, fully recovered; they ruminated readily, and were gaining flesh. Upon examination, however, they were p.r.o.nounced diseased, and, when killed, both lungs were found in a hopeless case, very badly diseased.

Dr. George B. Loring, another of the commissioners, stated that eight hundred and forty-two head of cattle had, at that time, been killed, and that, from a careful estimate, there still remained one thousand head, which should either be killed, or isolated for such a length of time as should establish the fact that they had no disease about them. Twenty thousand dollars and upwards had already been appraised as the value of the cattle then killed.

As to disinfecting measures, the farmers who had lost cattle were requested to whitewash their barns thoroughly, and some tons of a disinfecting powder were purchased for the advantage of the persons who wished to use it. An early application was advised, that the barns might be in readiness for hay the then coming season.

The practice adopted by the commissioners was, to appraise the cattle whenever a herd was found which had been exposed, and a surgeon was appointed to pa.s.s judgment upon the number of diseased animals. After that judgment, the remaining animals that were p.r.o.nounced sound were killed and pa.s.sed to the credit of the owner, after an apprais.e.m.e.nt made by these persons. The fair market-prices were paid, averaging about thirty-three dollars a head. At the time of the meeting of the committee, some seventy cattle had died of the disease.

An examination was made of some of the animals killed, and the following facts obtained:--

Case 1.--This cow had been sick for nineteen days; was feeble, without much appet.i.te, with diarrhoea, cough, shortness of breathing, hair staring, etc. Percussion dull over the whole of the left side of the chest; respiration weak. Killed by authority. Several gallons of serum were found in the left side of the chest; a thick, furzy deposit of lymph over all the _pleura-costalis_. This lymph was an inch in thickness, resembling the velvety part of tripe, and quite firm. There was a firm deposit of lymph in the whole left lung, but more especially at its base, with strong adhesions to the diaphragm and _pleura-costalis_ near the spine. The lung was hard and brittle, like liver, near its base. No pus. Right lung and right side of chest healthy.

Case 2.--This cow was taken very sick, January 30th. In fourteen days, she began to get better. April 12th, she is gaining flesh, breathes well, hair healthy, gives ten quarts of milk a day, and in all other respects bids fair for a healthy animal hereafter, except a slight cough. Percussion dull over base of the left lung, near the spine, and respiration feeble in the same regions.

Autopsy.--Left lung strongly adherent to diaphragm and costal pleura; the long adhesions well smoothed off; _pleura-costalis_ shining and healthy. Also, the surface of the lung, when there were no adhesions, sound and right; all the lung white, and free for the entrance of air, except the base, in which was a cyst containing a pint or two of pus.

Loose in this pus was a hard ma.s.s, as large as a two-quart measure, looking like marble; when cut through its centre, it appeared like the brittle, hardened lining in case 1. It appeared as though a piece of lung had been detached by suppuration and enclosed in an air-tight cyst, by which decomposition was prevented. The other lung and the chest were sound. It is to be inferred, as there were adhesions, that there had been pleurisy and deposit of lymph and serum, as in case 1, and that Nature had commenced the cure by absorbing the serum from the chest, and the lymph from the free pleural surface, and smoothed off every thing to a good working condition. The lump in the cyst was brittle and irregular on its surface, as though it was dissolving in the pus. No good reason can be given why Nature should not consummate the work which she had so wisely begun.

Case 3.--This cow had been sick fourteen days; was coughing and breathing badly; percussion dull over both chests and respiration feeble. Killed.

Autopsy.--Both chests filled with water; deposits of lymph over all the _pleura-costalis_, presenting the same velvety, furzy appearance as in Case 1. Both lungs were hardened at the base, and the left throughout its whole extent, and firmly adherent to diaphragm and costal pleura, near the spine. The right lung had nearly one-third of its substance in a condition for the entrance of air; but this portion, even, was so compressed with the water, that a few hours longer would have terminated the case fatally without State aid. This case had not proceeded far enough for the formation of the cyst or pus.