Epizooetics

Categories: Diseases and their Remedies

Diseases of this class have the same relation to the inferior animals

that epidemic diseases have to man. Of course, they assume a very

pestilential character. Scarcely a year passes away without diseases of

this nature making their appearance in some parts of the world. They

occur at all seasons of the year, but more generally prevail in the

spring and fall. The period of their duration varies from months to

years. Th y are, at times, mild in their attacks, and yield readily to

proper treatment; at other times, they become painful pestilences,

destroying every thing in their course.



The causes are generally sought for in some peculiar condition of the

atmosphere. The use of the milk and flesh of diseased cattle has

frequently been productive of malignant diseases in the human family.



Silius Italicus describes a fearful epizooetic, which first attacked the

dog, then the feathered biped, then horses, and cattle, and, last of

all, the human being.



"On mules and dogs the infection first began,

And, last, the vengeful arrows fixed in man."



Epizooetics, occurring in rats, cats, dogs, horses, and cattle, which

were followed in the succeeding years by more fearful ones which

attacked the human family, are numerously recorded. These scourges have

appeared in all ages of the world; but, as time and space will not allow

our entering upon an extended consideration of them,--however

interesting they might be to the general reader,--we shall content

ourselves by quoting, somewhat in brief, from the lectures of the late

William Youatt on these fatal maladies:--



"In the year 801, and at the commencement of the reign of Charlemagne,

an epidemic disease devastated a great portion of his dominions. This

was attributed to the villainy of the Duke of Benevento, who was said to

have employed a great many persons in scattering an enchanted powder

over the fields, which destroyed both the cattle and the food of the

cattle. M. Paulet seems inclined to give full credence to this, and says

that history offers many proofs of this destructive and diabolical

practice. He affirms that many persons were punished in Germany,

France, and, particularly, at Toulouse, for the commission of this

crime. Several of the suspected agents of these atrocities were put to

the torture and made full confession of their crime.



"Of the occurrence of these diseases from the year 800 to 1316,--an

interval of mental darkness, and of horrors and calamities of every

kind,--history records twenty cases, more or less destructive, and

extending, with greater or less devastation, over France and Germany,

Italy and England. Of these twenty, four date their origin from an

excessive moisture in the air, accompanied by almost continual rains,

and flooding the country to a considerable extent. One was supposed to

be the consequence of long-continued drought and excessive heat; one was

traced to the influence of an eclipse of the sun; another, to a comet;

and a fourth, to a most unusually stormy winter. The reader will have

the kindness to remember that we are here expressing the opinions of the

writers of the day, and by no means, our own belief of the matter.



"Of the four which trace their origin to extreme wet and its

consequences, the first occurred in France, in 820, after a long

continuance of rain; and it was equally fatal to men and cattle. The

second, which was equally fatal to both, appeared in Lorraine, in 889.

The third broke out among the cavalry of the army of Arnoul, in its

passage over the Alps, on its return to Italy. The fourth pervaded the

whole of England in 1125, and was equally fatal to the biped and the

quadruped.



"That which followed excessive heat and drought, was generally prevalent

throughout Europe, but especially so in Germany. It attacked oxen,

sheep, and pigs. It appeared in 994, and lasted six months.



"The one which was attributed to the comet, and which principally

attacked cattle, appeared in France in 943 Almost every animal perished.



"Another, that was supposed to be connected with an eclipse of the sun,

was prevalent throughout the greater part of Germany, among men and

animals, in 989.



"The disease, which was the consequence of a cold and boisterous winter,

was principally prevalent in France, in 887, and committed sad ravages

among the herds of cattle and sheep.



"Of the twelve others, of which, authors do not indicate the cause, the

first was in France, in 810, and principally among cattle. The second

was also in France, in 850, and almost depopulated the country of

cattle. The third, in 868, was common to all animals in France. The

fourth, in 870, was in the same country, and caused severe loss among

cattle. The fifth prevailed on the Rhine and in Germany, and destroyed

an almost incalculable number of cattle. The sixth attacked the horses

of the army of Arnoul in Lorraine, in 888. The seventh, in 940,

destroyed a vast number of cattle in France, Italy, and Germany. The

eighth and ninth were in France, in 941 and 942, and almost all the

cattle in the country perished. The tenth pestilence broke out in

England, in the year 1041, and frightful was its devastation among all

animals, and, particularly, horned cattle. The eleventh also devastated

our country, in 1103, and the ravages were dreadful. The twelfth was

chiefly fatal in Germany, and particularly in Gueldres, in 1149.



"These twenty pestilences occurred in the space of 506 years. Five or

six of them were most prevalent among cattle; two were almost confined

to horses; twelve included, to a greater or less degree, almost every

species of quadrupeds; and four extended to the human being. Among these

the ravages of eight were most destructive in France; as many in

Germany; and four in Italy and England.



"As far as we have hitherto proceeded, it will also appear that cattle

are more subject to these diseases than any other species of

domesticated animals, and that the pestilence is always most fearful

among them. It is also evident that the maladies which proceed from cold

or humidity are more frequent in the temperate and southern parts of

Europe than those which depend upon drought, or almost any other cause.



"The malady lingers in different countries, in proportion to its want of

power to accomplish at once all its devastation.



"After this time, there are few satisfactory accounts of these diseases

for more than five centuries. We only know that, occasionally suspending

their ravages,--or, rather, visiting new districts when they had ceased

to desolate others--they have continued to be objects of terror and

instruments of devastation, even unto the present day; and it is only

within a few years that they have been really understood, and have

become, to a certain degree, manageable."



In the United States, epizooetic diseases have been of frequent

occurrence; but, owing to the want of properly qualified veterinary

surgeons, they have not, until within a very recent period, been

properly described or understood. The day however, is fast approaching

when this void will be filled, and when epizooetic and other diseases

will be correctly noted and recorded. The necessity for this must have

been forcibly impressed upon the minds of the inhabitants of our country

from the experience of the last ten or twelve years.



Respecting the late epizooetic among cattle in Portage County, Ohio,

William Pierce, V.S., of Ravenna, thus describes the symptoms as they

appeared, in a letter to the author: "A highly-colored appearance of the

sclerotic coat of the eye, also of the conjunctiva (a lining membrane

of the eyelid) and the Schneiderian membrane of the nose; a high animal

heat about the head and horns; a highly inflammatory condition of the

blood; contraction of all the abdominal viscera; hurried respiration;

great prostration and nervous debility; lameness; followed by gangrene

of the extremity of the tail, and the hind-feet; terminating in

mortification and death."



Mr. Pierce is convinced that these symptoms are produced by the

continued use of the ergot, or spur of the June grass,--the effects

being similar to those produced upon the human family by long-continued

use of ergot of rye. This disease assumes both an acute and chronic

form.



The same gentleman also says: "Ordinary observers, as well as those who

claim to be scientific, have entertained very conflicting opinions as to

its general character; some regarding it as epizooetic, others as

contagious; some attributing it to atmospheric influence, others to

foulings in the stable or yard. Others, again, attribute it to freezing

of the feet in winter. Cattle-doctors in a majority of cases, fail to

cure it. I have, however, by a simple course of treatment, effected

many signal cures. Some parties are so confident of the contagious

character of the disease that they refuse to drive cattle along a road

where it is known to exist. They even, oftentimes, wash their boots

previous to entering their barnyards, after walking over the ground

where such diseased cattle have been running.



"Caution is both proper and commendable. I do not, however, regard it as

a contagious disease, nor can it be transmitted by inoculation. The calf

is carried during the progress of the disease, and delivered in

apparently good health. The milk of the cow appears to be unaffected and

harmless. I call this disease sphacial fever, or gangrenous fever.






"The ergot, or spur of the hay, is confined to the June grass, as far as

my observation extends; owing, probably, to its early maturity. Most

other kinds of grass are cut before the seeds have matured sufficiently

to produce the spur. I was suspicious of the foulness of the feed before

I examined any hay, and have found the spur in the hay wherever the

disease is found.



"Mr. Sanford, of Edinburgh, Ohio, purchased one half of a mow of hay

from Mr. Bassett, of Randolph, which was removed to his farm in

Randolph, eight miles distant. Of this hay, Mr. Sanford fed eleven cows

some six or eight weeks. Mr. Bassett had been feeding the same to four

cows. At about the same time, both heads began to show lameness. I

visited Mr. S. after he had lost six cows, and examined the remaining

five, four of which were lame and the other showed symptoms of the

disease. He had two other cows, one of which was loaned to a neighbor,

and the other was fed upon different hay, for convenience. The loaned

cow was returned about the first of March,--the two then running with

the ailing ones until the 24th of April, when I saw them sound and in

good health.



"I then visited Mr. Bassett's stock, which I found infected with the

same disease,--he having lost one, and the remaining three being lame,

and much debilitated. The hoofs were sloughing off. Some of the same hay

remained in the snow, which, upon examination, exhibited an abundance of

the spur. Upon inquiry, I found that no such disease existed between the

two farms, or in the neighborhood of either Mr. S. or Mr. B. The

peculiarity of this circumstance at once swept away the last vestige of

doubt from my mind. Mr. E. Chapman, of Rootstown, accompanied me, and

can vouch for the correctness of these statements.



"He hooted at my opinions, asserting that he understood the disease, and

that it was caused by the freezing of the feet. He has since, however,

abandoned that idea, and honestly 'acknowledged the corn.' This ergot is

regarded by some as a parasitic fungus, formed in other grains, an

abundant vegeto-animal substance, and much disposed to putrefaction. We

appear to be in the dark regarding its real composition. The little

which has been written upon the subject, appears to be founded upon

hypothesis, and that the most obscure. The articles to which I refer may

differ in quality or property to a considerable extent, and we may

forever remain in the dark, unless chemical investigation be instituted.



"In this particular disease, there appears to be singularity in the

symptoms through all its various stages, which is likely to originate in

the peculiarity of the cause which produces them. The effects and

symptoms arising from the continued use of the ergot of rye, as

manifested in the human system, have been but briefly hinted at by

authors, and, probably, some of them are only reasonable conjectures.

All they say is, that it produces violent headache, spaculation in the

extremities, and death. Hitherto, its effects upon the inferior animal

have been subjected to no investigation, and its peculiarity in the

symptoms, differing from like phenomena by other causes, may yet be

demonstrated. I am not alone in my opinion of this disease. I have taken

counsel of those whose judgment cannot be questioned. Whatever

difference of opinion exists is attributable to a want of investigation,

and it will continue to exist until this singular phenomenon is clearly

accounted for. Every opinion should be thoroughly criticized till facts

are obtained. Every man's opinion is sacred to himself, but we should

yield to conviction.



"Two classes of this disease are exhibited: one, of irritation, and the

other, of debility; one, an acute, the other, a chronic form. The point

at which it assumes the chronic form is between congestion and

gangrene. By close observation we can discover these to be different and

higher degrees of the same disease. All subsequent degrees are dependent

upon the first.



"The first symptom, or degree, is, probably, an attack upon the

systematic circulation, produced by a certain medicinal and deleterious

property existing in the ergot, and communicated to the blood through

the absorption of the tongue. This is more evident from the fact that

the digestive organs retain their normal condition till the last stages

of the chronic form. The blood in the first two stages is healthy, and

the peculiar influence is only apparent in the subsequent stages; as

evidenced by the fact that the muscles and general good appearance, as

well as life itself, last longer than could be possible, if this

deleterious influence were exhausted upon the digestive organs and the

blood, in its first stages. And, as we suppose that fever and congestion

constitute an attack upon the red blood, which is exhibited by hurried

pulsation, we might rationally infer that the next degree would be

gangrene of the globule, causing sloughing, the same as if it were

carried to the muscles, or surface. This sloughing of the globule would

be the same as if exhibited on any other part of the organization, for

the fibrin is identical with muscle, as albumen is identical with the

white of an egg; and since congestion is the forerunner of gangrene at

the extremities, or on the surface, so fever and quick pulsation are the

forerunners of congestion of the blood. Gangrene cannot ensue without

obstruction in the blood-vessels; and congestion cannot take place

without obstruction in that which sustains the globule. As gangrene,

then, is the first stage of decomposition of animal matter, so is

congestion the first stage of decomposition of the globule; and as

mortification is death in the organized body, so is congestion death in

the organized globule.



"It appears evident that this disease, in all its forms and degrees of

intensity, seeks vent or release; in other words, Nature conflicting

with it, throws it off its track, or balance, and offers means of

escape, or shows it a door by which it may make its exit. In the first

stage of the disease, the dermoid (skin) tissues make the effort. In the

inflammatory, the serous, and the congestive, the mucous gangrene seeks

vent; if obtained, mortification is prevented; if not, mortification

directly supervenes, and death terminates the case.



"In the case to which I refer, observation confirms my opinion that

absolute mortification without vent determines the gangrene of the

blood, and is hardly curable; but that gangrene's finding vent

determines it to be curable, and the recovery highly probable."