As I held a post-mortem examination on the second cow that died I was confirmed in my diagnosis, and am perfectly satisfied that that of Oxford Kate was correct. Oxford Kate was a famous animal, and had a record of thirty-nine pounds twelve ounces of butter in a week.

SOUTHERN CATTLE FEVER-THE PERMANENTLY INFECTED LINE.

Referring to the investigations of this Department relative to the territory permanently infected with southern cattle fever, Mr. William King Kendall, of Tilden, Tex., writing under date of September 25 last, says:

A copy of the Agricultural Report for 1885 has been received, for which please accept my thanks. In offering thanks for this kindness, you will pardon me for referring to a subject of very great moment to the live-stock industry of this State, and one that I am pleased to see has been treated very exhaustively and fairly in the report before me. I refer to that of Texas or splenic fever of cattle. It is quite evident to every intelligent mind that no arbitrary line, based upon any defined degree of latitude or longitude, can be drawn defining the infected and noninfected sections of the State. This can only be determined after years of careful investigation. With a view of adding my mite toward the ascertainment of such facts, I am constrained to address you upon the subject. I believe the Department has done all that was possible under the circumstances to ascertain the nature of the malady, as well as the extent of the affected territory, and that in so doing it has been actuated by the best of motives--the public good.

Before proceeding to a discussion of the subject, however, I desire to disclaim any personal interest in range cattle. I would further state that I am not of those who unreasonably contend, against well-established facts, that no such disease exists in the State of Texas, but, on the contrary, think it quite likely that the entire section contiguous to the sea-board is permanently infected. Being thoroughly acquainted with that section, as well as with the southern half of the State, I am led to believe that the disease prevails farther inland in the eastern than in the western section of the State. I reach this conclusion from two reasons: First, from the fact that the low, level plains bordering the coast extend farther inland in the former than in the latter section; secondly, because the climate, geography, and vegetation of the two sections are radically different, and much certainly depends, in determining this matter, upon altitude and climate. There is still another fact I desire to state in this connection, which appears to me to demand more than a passing consideration, and it is a fact so universally recognized by all intimately acquainted with the live stock of the coast country that no one will be found to deny the statement. For thirty years I was a resident of the coast, and during that time was engaged in breeding native cattle upon the range, and was thus offered every facility for making observations. From the earliest settlement of that section to the present time a malady has prevailed among the cattle of that region locally known as murrain. The loss from this disease is much greater than is generally supposed or admitted. Upon one occasion I had a small herd in an inclosure, and the loss from the first of March to the following November aggregated just 10 per cent.; and I am persuaded, after many years of close observation, that the annual loss from this disease alone will not fall short of 5 per cent. When compared with the estimated losses of range cattle from all causes as usually published, this statement seems alarming; but it should be borne in mind that these estimates are absurdly inaccurate and misleading. By reference to Youatt and other veterinary authorities I find no similarity between this so-called murrain and that known to veterinary science, but do find a very close similitude between the symptoms of this malady and that of Texas or splenic fever as described by veterinarians. Again, it is a well-known fact that the liver of all cattle over one year of age throughout the coast country is more or less affected, showing lesions in this organ to a greater or less extent. After a residence of nine years in this country I never knew or heard of a case of this so-called murrain where the liver and other organs were found, upon examination, in a normal condition.

In conclusion, I would most respectfully submit that I am under the impression that the line suggested by the Department in the report before me, locating the infected district, will be found upon further investigation to be but partially correct. It is my impression, based upon the facts above cited, that a line beginning at Laredo, or perhaps farther south on the Rio Grande, and bearing eastward suffi ciently to include a greater portion of Duval, and perhaps the entire county of Mc

Mullen, and a portion, if not all, of Atascosa County north of the dead-line, and thence converging until it should intercept the designated line northeast of San Antonio, would embrace all additional territory free from the fear of infection in the State of Texas.

Mr. S. P. Goodwin, of Savannah, Ga., referring to the permanently infected region of southern cattle fever, as pointed out in previous reports of the Bureau of Animal Industry, in a letter of recent date, addressed to Dr. D. E. Salmon, says:

I see by the maps that Georgia lies entirely within the permanently infected region, or almost so, as also does South Carolina. Such being the case, it would seem to be an easy matter to remove cattle from one part of the State to another without danger of fever. It is not so, however, for cattle brought to the coast belt from the region of Atlanta and Athens, in this State, from Charlotte, N. C., and as far south as Greenville, S. C., invariably die within a few months. It is an exception where one lives through the following summer after arrival. Milch cows brought here from Atlanta can not be sold at all if it is known they are from that point. It does seem there is less danger in bringing cattle here from any point along the coast belt as far north as Long Island than there is in a few hundred miles in the interior. For that reason I must think there is a coast belt region which has been overlooked. I have been trying some time to acclimate a Jersey bull, and lost three before I succeeded in bringing one through the summer. There is only one way to do it, and that is to bring them here in the fall, at six or eight months old, and the following summer feed them on laxative food, and not expose them to the sun at all. The Holstein appears to do better here than the Jersey. Of quite a number brought here there have been few deaths in acclimating.

ANTHRAX AND CHARBON.

Dr. L. E. Rockwell, of Amenia, N. Y., writing under date of January 27, 1886, thus speaks of an outbreak of anthrax among cattle in that locality:

Another outbreak of anthrax, or splenic apoplexy, has occurred in our town, this time at R. R. Thompson's. Four years ago the disease appeared in the herd of Frank Bayliss, 2 miles east of Amenia.

A supposed outbreak of anthrax occurred in a herd of cattle belonging to C. Hibbard & Son, of Bennington, Shiawassee County, Mich., in January last. On the 15th of April Hon. H. H. Hinds, president of the Michigan Live Stock Sanitary Commission, wrote the Department, giving an account of the outbreak, and inclosed the reports of Prof. E. A. Grange, State veterinarian, and William Japling, veterinary surgeon, of Owasso, Mich. The report of the former, which was made to the Live Stock Sanitary Commission on the 9th of April, is as follows:

On the 26th of February last I was requested to examine some cattle belonging to Messrs. Hibbard & Son, Shorthorn breeders, of Bennington, Mich., which were said to be suffering from some new disease. On my arrival at night I found one animal (an ox) dead. Being late in the evening a post-mortem was deferred until morning, when autopsy revealed the following lesions: Beginning with the muzzle I found the skin upon the upper lip much abraded, exhibiting very angry looking sores, with evidence of considerable ante-mortem discharge from the nose. Examination of the nasal chambers showed the mucous membrane to be of a reddishpurple hue, with pus distributed along their course. Continuing, I found the mucous membranes of the larynx, trachia, and bronchial tubes highly injected. After having observed the lesions in the air passages, my attention was next directed to the alimentary canal, the mucous membrane of most parts of which presented a decided blush. The accessary organs of digestion (liver, spleen, and pancreas) did not present any marked deviation from health; the feces were normal. I then proceeded to make an examination of the urinary organs, and on making sections of the kidneys I found the mucous membranes of the uriniferous tubes in a highly injected condition. In the urine bladder was found a considerable quantity of a jelly-like mass, highly covered with blood, the mucous membrane of which was extensively covered with petechial spots. Examination of the brain did not reveal anything peculiar.

On my arrival in the evening, in addition to the dead ox, I was shown a heifer in the same stable decidedly sick, and upon examination I found a profuse discharge of tears from the eyes; nostrils injected; ears drooping; temperature about 106° F.; respiration much accelerated; pulse, say, 80 per minute; appetite little affected; bowels almost normal; urine natural. Next morning the animal seemed somewhat worse, and going from bad to worse, day by day, Mr. Hibbard killed it about the sixth day.

From what I saw, and from the history of the disease given me by Dr. Jopling, of Owasso, and Mr. Hibbard, in those animals which had died some time previous to my visit, I diagnosed the disease as "malignant catarrhal fever," but am somewhat at a loss to account for the cause of the complaint, as my brief investigation failed to discover anything in the sanitary condition of the premises, care, and management of the animals, or other circumstance which I could say was the cause of the disease. I stated to Mr. Hibbard that I did not think the malady was of a contagious nature, and its behavior since then would appear to confirm that opinion.

The following is the report made by Dr. Jopling on the history of this outbreak and the characteristics of the disease:

Case No. 1.-On the 26th day of January, 1886, I was called to see a thoroughbred heifer nearly a year old which had been sick for two days. Upon arriving at the farm, some 4 miles distant, I found her suffering from spasms, during which she would fall down and appear as if about to die, but would recover in a few minutes and get on her feet again. I found her temperature 106° F.; pulse very quick and weak; respiration about 40; visible mucous membranes reddened; a free discharge from nose and eyes, and traces of blood in the urine. She lived some ten or twelve hours from the time I first saw her. She had repeated spasms or convulsions until she died.

The post-mortem examination showed that the mucous membranes were the principal seat of disease. They were of a purplish red color, with slight ulcerations in the mouth and fauces. A part of the muzzle sloughed off. The mucous membranes of both the respiratory and digestive tracts were involved throughout. The lungs were slightly inflamed. The right side of the heart was distended with blood, and the opposite side empty. The spleen was slightly enlarged, and the mucous membrane of the bladder somewhat inflamed. These are the post-mortem lesions, as near as I can recollect them. Owing to the fact that aconite had been freely administered in the early stage of the disease, and not being able to account for the symptoms presented and the post-mortem appearances in a better way, I attributed it to an overdose of this medicine.

Case No. 2.-A grade heifer, coming two years old, was taken sick three weeks after the first one died. She died inside of three days, showing symptoms exactly similar to those seen in the first case. I did not see this animal, but Mr. Hibbard held a post-mortem examination, and said that the appearance seemed to be the same as in the previous one.

Case No. 3.-An ox, ten years old, was taken sick on the 24th of February. Had eaten his feed as usual the previous night, and was found sick in the morning. I arrived there six or eight hours from the time he was first known to be sick, and found the symptoms as follows: Temperature, 107° F.; pulse, 80; respiration about 40; a free discharge from the eyes, and eyelids swollen; an abundant discharge from the nostrils also; urine bloody and passed frequently. As the disease advanced the symptoms became more aggravated. The temperature increased a little during the first day, and then decreased a little. The pulse got weaker and more frequent, and the discharge from the eyes and nose more profuse. The mouth was very sore and ulcerated. The muzzle sloughed off, and the animal before death presented an unsightly appearance. Professor Grange, State veterinarian, was present when the animal died. The post-mortem appearances were similar to those described in the first case. The mucous membrane seemed to be the principal seat of the disease. Case No. 4.-A grade heifer, rising two years old, which had aborted some four weeks previous. She was taken sick on the 26th day of February, and died within a few days. In this case the owner said that while withdrawing the milk a short time previous to death the skin peeled off the teats; otherwise the symptoms were the same as in the other cases. No post-mortem was made.

Case No. 5.-An ox (mate to one previously mentioned) was taken sick on the 2d day of April, and died within three days. I did not see this animal, and no post

mortem examination was made.

In conclusion, I might state that the first animal taken sick was in stables about one-half mile distant from the others, while all stood in the same stable side by side. They were all very fleshy. In no case was there any cough, notwithstanding the great degree of bronchial irritation.

H. Mis. 156-19

In writing to the Department, under date of June 5, Mr. B. B. Eskridge, Pecan Point, Mississippi County, Ark., states that charbon has made its appearance among horses and mules in that locality.

GOITER IN CATTLE.

William H. Gribble, veterinary surgeon, writing from Gaylord, Otsego County, Mich., under date of July 8, thus speaks of the general presence of goiter among calves in that locality:

The majority (calves), as far as I can learn, are born with goiter (or, as the farmers term it, "big neck "), which constantly enlarges, and in a few days causes suffocation; in fact, many are born dead, and calves in utero are the same. I also find many horses with enlarged thyroid glands. Wells are scarce, and what few there are are usually quite deep, so that cattle which roam at large obtain their water supply from lakes having no perceptible inlet or outlet. The country is new, being mainly covered with virgin timber, mostly rock maple, hemlock, pine, elm, basswood, etc. I have given no time to the smaller flora, as summers are short and most of the winter food is brought in by railroads.

I find that cattle given well-water all winter still give birth to goitered calves. Again, a large number of cattle brought into this neighborhood from a distance seem to do well but a short time. They then lose appetite, flesh, etc., and gradually become skeletons and die. A few seemingly get well, but in a short time they are again attacked.

I have had no opportunity to make a post-mortem examination, but the few I have seen strangely impress me as the symptoms of tuberculosis. Still, I can not see how this can be the disease.

A Mr. Newsome, a homesteader, tells me that he has lost cattle since he has been here, and that every neighborhood has had goitered calves.

DEATH OF A COW FROM TUBERCULOSIS.

About the 1st of December, Mr. Thomas Eckles, of Olmsted County, Minn., informed the Department of an outbreak of disease among his cattle, and requested that a veterinarian be sent to make an examination and determine the character of the malady. Dr. Paaren was instructed to visit his herd, which he did on the 7th of December, and at once forwarded the following report of the results of his investigations:

In accordance with your orders, per dispatch of the 4th inst., I visited the farm of Mr. Thomas Eckles, located about 24 miles southeast from Eyota, Minn., where is kept four head of Shorthorn cows. The owner had bought a three years' old grade Jersey cow last October from a resident in Eyota, who said she was raised in this county. She was not known to have come in contact with any diseased stock. When purchased she was in lean condition, and was troubled with a cough, but only when feeding, and at no other time. Exercise would cause difficulty in breathing, and she would then act, as the owner says, like a horse with the heaves. As she did not improve in flesh, and as the owner was afraid to use what little milk she gave, he destroyed her. On opening her he found what he thought were signs of pleuro-pneumonia, and so reported. He says a portion of the left lung adhered to the ribs and diaphragm, and on cutting into the lungs he found numerous smaller and larger abscesses or cavities filled with thick yellow pus. The lungs weighed about 11 pounds, while the right lung was apparently healthy. The diseased lung was preserved in a frozen condition for inspection.

I found the surface of the lung of normal smooth aspect, with no signs of previous inflammatory action. The anterior half of the lung was enlarged. A section through this portion revealed large tubercular deposits in various conditions or stages, from cheesy to more solid and granular, gritty or calcareous, with abscess formation in cavities from the size of a bean to that of a goose egg.

The four other cows, which had been kept with the diseased one, I found to be in a healthy condition. No deaths from contagious disease among cattle are known to have occurred in this neighborhood or in this county. The above case was tuberculosis.

DISEASE AMONG CATTLE IN TENNESSEE.

In November last an outbreak of disease was reported as existing in a herd of cattle near Brownsville, Tenn., and the Department was requested to make an investigation as to the nature of the malady. Dr. N. H. Paaren was directed to visit the herd, make the necessary investigation, and report the results to this Department. His report bears date of November 29, and is as follows;

In compliance with the request contained in your telegram of November 24, to "proceed at once to Brownsville, Tenn., and meet live stock commission and investigate cattle disease," I started on the 25th instant and arrived there on the night of the 26th. The next morning I met Messrs. F. B. Snipes and J. V. Fulkerson, of the live stock commission, and A. J. McWhister, commissioner of agriculture for Tennessee.

We proceeded at once to the farm of Mr. B. G. Allison, located 2 miles northwest of Brownsville, on which farm were kept 18 dairy cows, 1 bull, and 16 heifers under two years old. The owner stated that, since the 1st of August last, a number of young animals commenced to fall off in condition; that a number of them became more or less affected with diarrhea, from which most of them slowly recovered without medical treatment, while others remained in poor condition and considerably emaciated. In this condition I found about a half dozen of the animals on my arrival,

Since the 1st of August five of these young animals had died. Although none of them had suffered from cough, or any other symptom that might indicate affection of the respiratory organs, still the owner as well as some of his neighbors were afraid that the trouble might be due to pleuro-pneumonia, and the State authorities were asked to make an investigation.

In the lot were only three animals in poor condition. Auscultation and percussion revealed nothing but a normal condition of the internal organs. The temper ature of the three were respectively 1014°, 102°, and 1021° F. On a close external examination, I found these, as well as several other young animals, literally covered with lice.

At the suggestion of the commissioners, and with the approval of the owner, I shot the poorest one of the lot; exposed every organ of the body to full view; cut open the trachea and bronchial tubes; made incisions of the stomach, liver, spleen, kidneys, etc., and found nothing whatever indicating an abnormal condition, excepting such signs as are due to a state of general debility and emaciation, such as flacidity of textures, bloodlessness, consequent paleness of muscles, etc.

The animals had been fed on whole corn and hay, which passed off in an undigested condition. I recommended chopped and ground or steamed food, with the addition of vegetable tonics; attention to bodily cleanliness, and the application of an ointment made of snuff and lard, or kerosene with lard.

SALT SICK IN CATTLE.

Dr. J. M. Abbott, Tuckertown, Fla., in a letter addressed to the Department in February last, says:

Your Department would confer a lasting blessing on Flerida if it could find out the cause and discover a remedy for what old settlers call the salt sick in cattle. I have opened and examined several of my own animals that died of the disease, and in some cases found their lungs affected, in others the liver, and in a few the kidneys seemed to be the seat of the disease.

In answer to a communication requesting further information in regard to the symptoms and characteristics of this disease, Dr. Abbott wrote as follows:

During last year from 25 to 40 per cent. of the cattle in this county died of the sick or salt sick malady, as it is called. One of my friends lost 250 head out of a herd of 550 head. It was more general last year than for fifteen years past. The animals, when first taken, look sick; while they continue to eat they get poorer and poorer, and finally die of inanition, like a person afflicted with consumption. The liver of one of those I opened was diseased; in the second one I found the kidneys diseased, and the liver normal; the third one showed disease of the lungs, while the kidneys and liver were unaffected,