she is perfectly well. The calf following this cow had the same disease, but I am sure it did not lose a pound of flesh. All my other cattle came through all right, with but little loss of flesh, because I at once fed and cared for them as I should.

Dr. Paquin kindly informed me that from the reports to him up to date the following counties of Missouri are, or have been, affected, giving the approximate number of cases as follows:

The animals were mostly milch cows, though bulls, steers, and calves were also affected.

The governor of Missouri, having asked for an early report of our investigations, Dr. Paquin sent him on the evening of September 15 the following letter:

To his excellency Governor D. R. FRANCIS,

Jefferson City, Mo.:

SIR: I beg to report to you the result of further investigations carried on by me, .in conjunction with Dr. Charles B. Michener, inspector of United States Bureau of Animal Industry, respecting the present outbreak of disease among cattle in several counties of this State. We find by observation and careful inquiries as to the history of the cases, that by no possibility can this disease be identical with European foot-and-mouth disease. We are also led to believe that this disease is not contagious, but that it is due to like causes or conditions that are now operating quite generally throughout the State. The foods (grasses, etc.) may probably be affected with some form of fungus that is producing this trouble. This, however, is not definitely ascertained as yet.

We are united upon the following facts:

(1) That the disease in question is not foot-and-mouth disease.

(2) That it is not contagious.

(3) That there is not the slightest cause for alarm among our stock owners. Respectfully,

I concur in the above report.

PAUL PAQUIN, State Veterinarian.

CH. B. MICHENER, V. S., Inspector, Bureau of Animal Industry. eczema epizootica, or foot-and-mouth

That this disease is not disease, is borne out by the following facts: (a) It is not contagious. Often only 1, 2, or 3 animals of a herd are affected; in only two instances could I learn of as many as 50 per cent being diseased.

(b) It does not follow the course of the movement of cattle, but appears simultaneously at many different and secluded parts of the State, missing many herds and attacking others.

(c) In all instances I was assured that by no possibility could the affected animals have been in contact, mediate or immediate, with the virus of foot-and-mouth disease.

(d) The symptoms, course, and termination of this affection do not conform to those of foot-and-mouth disease.

(e) Lameness, with lesions of the feet and legs, is the exception. So far the disease has resisted all attempts to reproduce it by inoculation with the saliva or other fluids, etc.

I have intimated, in my concurrence with Dr. Paquin's report to

Governor Francis, that this disease is one due to eating some irritative substance or substances. That this fungus-ergot, or whatever it may be is taken up by the act of grazing, is indicated by the fact that the anterior part of the mouth only is affected in the great majority of cases. In rare instances the poisonous agent is taken in quantities sufficient to produce general symptoms and lesions of the udder, teats, etc.

Until a more careful and thorough examination of the different grasses and foods is made to discover the exact nature of the agent causing this trouble, we must refer to it as a noncontagious form of irritative stomatitis, due to some unknown parasite or fungus affecting the food.

Very respectfully,

CH. B. MICHENER, V. S., Inspector, Bureau of Animal Industry.

BROOKLYN, N. Y., September 22, 1890.

GLANDERS AMONG HORSES AND MULES IN TEXAS.

Hon. J. M. RUSK,

Secretary of Agriculture:

SIR: In obedience to the order sent me from your Department, authorizing me to investigate an outbreak in glanders in De Witt County, Tex., reported to you by Hon. V. Weldon, of Cuero, the county seat of said county, I beg to submit the following report:

The commission, dated Washington, October 21, arrived on the 26th, and I left Dallas for Cuero on the 28th, and arrived the next day at 3 p. m., after a ride of 422 miles.

De Witt County is situated in southwest Texas, and is composed of rolling prairie, divided by the Guadalupe River; contains very little timber, with numerous small streams of clear water. The country is thinly settled; farming is done only on a small scale; the business is principally stock raising; the ranches varying in size from 1,000 to 25,000 acres or more, and all divided up by wire fences, so that stock do not range indiscriminately, as at one time, when the country was all open.

Cuero, the county seat, is situated near the geographical center of the county on a level prairie, and has about 3,000 inhabitants. It is built about 3 miles from the Guadalupe River, which is its principal source of water supply, by means of a system of water works established about two years ago.

On my arrival I was met by the Hon. V. Weldon, and by him introduced to other leading citizens and stockmen of the county. I found upon inquiry that quite a number of horses and mules throughout the county had died in the last three or four years, and that the disease was considerably on the increase; that there had been until lately quite a diversity of opinion as to what the disease really was, some believing it to be glanders, others arguing that it was only a bad form of distemper, while still others thought it some other disease; all the time horses and mules kept dying off, and all apparently of a somewhat similar disease, and the opinion began to gain ground that it had its infection in and around Cuero. This belief became so strong in the minds of a number of horse owners that they believed it unsafe to take their stock to Cuero, and it then began to show its effects upon the retail trade of Cuero. This feeling of danger to the stock interest was increased by the reports of merchants in the adjoining towns. It was then that the citizens of Cuero and vicinity became fully alive to the situation of affairs, and saw the necessity of doing something. A meeting of the citizens was called, and the matter fully discussed; a committee was appointed to devise ways and means to arrest the disease in question. The first act of the committee was to raise a fund by public subscription to defray the expenses of a competent veterinarian to come and investigate the disease and define its char

acter and advise the best means of stopping its ravages. They employed Dr. A. R. Bolkom, of San Antonio, a reputable veterinarian of extensive experience both in Texas and other States. Dr. Bolkom at once recognized the disease as glanders, and by a number of post-mortems demonstrated the presence of glanderous ulcers in the nasal chambers; the tubercles in the lungs; also the farcy eruptions on the skin. After staying some two or three days, and condemning and killing a number of animals, the doctor returned home. A number of diseased animals still remained alive, the owners refusing to have them killed, and there being no law to compel them to do so; and the quarantine law of Texas being a very loose one, the condition of affairs seems to be worse instead of better. The greater number of the leading citizens believed it to be glanders, and knowing well their commercial interests were being hurt, wished to have the disease eradicated, and argued that if it was not glanders it was equally as bad a disease and ought to be stamped out; while others would tell of their long life in Texas, their great experience with stock, and that no such a disease was ever known or could exist in a climate like Texas. Then the owner of a glandered horse that did not wish to have him killed, from a pecuniary point of view, argued that this man's lifelong experience with stock in Texas, even if he could not read or write, was, in his opinion, worth a great deal more to him than any imported book-taught veterinarian, and would positively refuse to destroy his animal or take the proper care of him.

This was about the state of things when I reached Cuero. My first statement to the citizens' committee was, that I knew Dr. Bolkom personally, and knew that he was amply able to recognize glanders when he saw it, as I had seen him tried in a case I saw with him in the city of San Antonio a year ago; but before committing myself to any opinion on the subject, I would examine the diseased animals myself, which I immediately proceeded to do. My first inquiry was, where did the majority of the horses and mules in Cuero, and also those coming into the city from the country, get their daily supply of water? I was shown a public watering-trough that would hold about 75 gallons, situated near the center of one of the principal streets, and also near the heart of the city. It was supplied by a pipe from the waterworks, though at the present time was not in use, but had been so up to the time of Dr. Bolkom's visit, he having pointed it out to them as the chief source of infection, an opinion which I found after investigating a little further to be absolutely correct. I was then conducted to a livery stable where the disease was said to exist. It was the property of Mrs. Olsen, and was managed by Mr. Miller. I afterwards learned that some 15 mules and horses had died here of the prevailing disease. I was shown two horses with blankets on, although the thermometer stood about 85° in the shade. I inquired the reason for it, and was informed by the manager of the stable that they had been sick but were now improving fast and would soon be well. Upon making an examination I found one just developing an acute case of glanders; the other had assumed the chronic form. From the stable I passed into a yard attached to the stable, in which there was a number of horses running loose. In this yard was a water trough. Among this lot I found one with glanders and farcy; these, together with a mule belonging to the same stable, I had destroyed the next day. I was then informed there were some suspicious cases at large on the commons. I procured a conveyance, and accompanied by a number

of citizens went in search of them, and was rewarded by finding two well-developed cases in the chronic form. We returned to the city and found the owners, who agreed to have them destroyed. The next day I obtained the names of some parties believed to have diseased animals in their possession, a short distance in the country, I visited them but found nothing suspicious. When I returned to the city, in company with a number of citizens, I had all those found diseased the day before taken about 3 miles to an out-of-the-way place, where no animal would go near them but wolves and buzzards, and had them killed. They all showed unmistakable signs of glanders. On Friday I visited Cheapside, a small place consisting of a post-office and store. There was a tournament and political speaking going on, and about 200 horses and mules were present; none showed any signs of glanders. Dr. Millner, a practicing physician located there, said he had lost six horses since spring, and the last one he had killed about ten days before, as it could not live much longer. He did not know what was the matter with them, but believed it to be glanders; they all contracted it from one; that fact he was sure of. After further inquiry, he stated that he was familiar with the health of the horses in his vicinity, and he only knew of one other suspicious case at the time, a horse belonging to Mr. Pate Terry. We found Mr. Terry on the ground, and as we stated the object of our mission he accompanied us to his place, about a mile and a half distant, where we found his horse diseased with glanders in the chronic form, and Mr. Terry had him destroyed. Not hearing of any more suspicious cases we returned to Cuero, having driven about 35 miles, making inquiries of every one and examining a large herd of range horses belonging to Bennett Bros., but without finding any more cases. On Saturday I went to Yorktown, about 25 miles distant. On the way we called on Mr. Fred. Brown, who was reported as having some diseased horses. I found none diseased, but he informed me that last year he lost over 20 head with what he believed to be glanders, and that one of his tenants had lost 6 head, all that he had, this spring; and another had lost 2 head, all that he had; and they believed they died of glanders; and the symptoms, as given by them, certainly indicated glanders.

At Yorktown there was a political gathering and public speaking, and a great many people and horses were present. I did not find or hear of any suspicious cases, but heard of several cases that died in the winter and spring in Missouri Valley; but at the present time there were no suspicious cases in the vicinity. Not being able to trace any disease, we returned to the city pretty well tired out, after a 40-mile drive under a hot sun and over a road that was anything but pleasant.

On Monday I was told of a horse, belonging to Mr. M. Baker, that was suspicious. Upon examination it proved to be affected with glanders, and was immediately destroyed. A Mexican also drove a pair of horses into the city from the Bates ranch, and one had glanders, and was taken possession of by the marshal and afterwards destroyed. Tuesday being election day, I remained in the city and examined a large number of horses without finding any cases. On Wednesday Sells Bros.' circus showed in Cuero, and the whole population of the entire country for 30 miles around came in to see the show. There were estimated to be a thousand horses and mules in the city that day. I made a very careful examination of them, and