THE DISEASES OF CATTLE.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume 1, Issue 11, 14 December 1872, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE DISEASES OF CATTLE.

There can be little doubt but that contagious diseases amongst cattle have existed from a very early period, and have occasionally visited this country ; but it is doubtful whether a visitation of the lung disease, or cattle plague, in its most aggravated form, occurred prior to 1841. Historical notices of the disease affirm that it appeared first in the eighteenth century, in 1710, when it was observed in Hungary, from thence it went to Dalmatia, to Padua, and, spreading over the Venetian states, was ■disseminated through the whole of Italy, and passed, in 1713, to Germany by the Tyrol, from whence it was communicated north to Denmark and Sweden, introducing itself about the same time into Great Britain. It again appeared in 1745, during which period it lasted twelve years, and made sad havoc amongst our herds of cattle ; but from 1757 to 1865 it dofes not appear certain (if we except 1841) that the lung disease amongst cattle have appeared on several occasions. We make this distinction between the diseases, because one, it is contended, is curable if it be taken at an early period ; whilst the other, it is boldly maintained, is incurable, and the only remedy for it is to “ stamp it out.” When the disease appeared in 1841 it spread rapidly from one dairy to another, proved exceedingly fatal, swept away thousands of the most valuable cattle, and reduced many respectable stockholders to beggary. Since its first appearance it has never wholly left this country, but it is by no means so common as forinerlv. Of those cattle that were attacked few recovered, although every means were used to lessen the fatality of the pest. The diseased animals were assiduously purged, violently blistered and setoned, and, in short, subjected to all the appliances that the ordinary system of treatment could put in force ; but they still died, and the unfortunate owner had to pay a large doctor’s bill, besides losing the value of the animal. Hence arose a belief, which is still strongly entertained, that the disease is incurable, and that no treatment whatever can arrest its progress. Are we then to sit quietly down and conclude that this hitherto intractable disease is unamenable to proper remedies, unlike any other affection ? The disease itself arises from a variety of different causes. Thus, it is found to exist in low, damp, ill-drained, and badly ventilated byres; in swampy, damp, fenny districts, in which various gases, the products of vegetable decomposition, are given off and become mixed with the air which the animal breathes. It prevails most frequently at certain seasons of the year, and when the weather is undergoing some change; thus it is common during the autumn and spring months, or, indeed, at any other period of the year, provided the weather be damp and chilly, or a sudden change from heat and cold occurs. Some animals are more liable to be attacked than others ; thus it is far less frequent, fatal, and difficult to cure in country districts than in towns, where the animals are living in a highly artificial manner, being crowded together, highly fed, and milked dry in order to increase the quantity of milk. This highly artificial mode of life peculiarly fits the animal to be acted upon by any of the exciting causes. Many persons consider the disease to arise from some some peculiar condition of the atmosphere akin to that which produces cholera and influenza in human beings. It is, however, contagious —that is, the disease is propagated from diseased to healthy animals by contact or contiguity; it is never' communicated through the air; and, thirdly, the contagious matter retains its power a considerable time. The infection will, likewise, generally be exhibited in a few days ; but in a few eases it may not show itself for six or seven, and after ten days there is no fear of the disease. Moreover, the separation of the animals to prevent, or to ascertain the existence of contagion, need not in any case exceed 14 days. Of the 278,439 cattle attacked by the disease in 1865-66 221,121, or 65 in every 1000 of the estimated ordinary stock, were in England ; 9359, or 16 per 1000, in Wales ; and 47,959, or 49 per 1000, in Scotland.

The disease, we regret to state, is extending, especially in the northern counties, where the population is denser than it is in the south. At Pocklington and its neigborhood the “ stampingout” system is adopted, as elsewhere where the disease assumes a bad and dangerous type. It is also spreading in the district of Bridlington, according to a Manchester paper. Two fields belonging to Lieutenant Colonel Prickett, situated in the Ings, near Bridlington, have become infected with the disease, together with several places at Bridlington Quay and Hilderthorpe, where it is increasing. A placard declaring these places infected has been fixed up, which prohibits cattle and animals from being brought within such places, excepting fat cattle with a license for immediate slaughter. In Gloucestershire, also, the disease has assumed a prominent shape, and a great number of cattle have been attacked by it. At Berkely, Bristol, Campden, Cheltenham, Cirencester, Dursley, Gloucester, Sodbury, Stow, and Tetbury, most of the farmers have been : great sufferers. In Norfolk, likewise, the disease is still very prevalent, although its victims are less numerous than they were in the month of August, ■ and in Bedfordshire it has begun to ! manifest itself in a very troublesome I shape. The latter county, indeed, has | come to the resolution, “ That the J disease (foot and mouth) is either generated on board ship, or the ships I employed in the trade are incurably ■ affected, and thus infect the cattle. The committee would, therefore, urge upon i the Privy Council the desirability of | making experiments in a few cargoes ; fnm Ireland, by keeping the animals in j quarantine both before shipment and subsequent to their landing, for such term as is necessary for the development of the disease.”

We have long been of the opinion expressed in the Bedford resolution, and have expressed ourselves, on more than one occasion, to the same effect. The convenience and comfort of the animals ought to be more carefully considered than they are, or have been for some time past, during the voyage. Those that are imported suffer intensely from overcrowding, defective ventilation, and deficiency of water and food. Competition between shipping companies leads to small rates being charged ; and, to make up for this, as many animals as possibly can be crowded into a cattle boat will be by the owners of the vessels. This was slightly amended by special arrangements made when the cattle disease broke out in 186 S-9, but things have nearly relapsed into their old condition. The result of this general negligence in the treatment of cattle is that animals, especially in wet weather, which get down cannot rise, and are often trodden to death, or so bruised and injured as to render it necessary that they should be killed on coming into port, or on board. Vessels ought only to carry a given number of animals, according to their measurement, and proper attendants during the voyage ought to take care of them. One man to 100 head of cattle would be quite sufficient.

It is difficult to conceive the amount of heat and effluvium existing in the middle and lower decks when the vessel is brought alongside the wharf containing cattle come from abroad. The men who go down to get out the animals are compelled to divest themselves of all clothing, excepting their trousers, to perform this duty. To relieve their breathing, they are also compelled to come to the openings in the decks through which the cattle are brought up for being put ashore. The quicker the animals can be unloaded the better, and all cattle ships should therefore have gangways from deck to deck, up which the animals can walk. The close and suffocating atmosphere in which the cattle are confined during their voyage to this country is in itself sufficient to evoke a disease which may be latent .in the system of the animal, although it may not. perhaps be sufficiently effective to produce a disease; and that .this is the case in numerous instances can be fully verified. In fact one-half of the disease has been produced by this cause in this country, and its intermittent prevalence is almost wholly owing to it.

The first consideration, when the cattle are on board, should be to supply them with food and water. This, as a rule, has been sadly neglected, which arises, in a great measure, from overcrowding and the want of a proper number of men on board whose especial duty it is to give attention to the animals. Practice, however, has shown that it is not prudent, especially with cattle brought from Spain, to give them either food or water for the first twelve hours after being on board. Water should, however, then be given, and certainly at not less than every twelve hours afterwards. An average passage from Tonning or Geestemunde is 40 hours, so that the animals should have both food and water several times on the voyage; if, not they suffer intensely, and become proportionately prepared for the reception of a disease. An average passage from Oporto is 100 hours, and the cattle will therefore require water and food about eight times. As a rule, cattle will eat but little on board, and hay is certainly to be preferred before other kinds of food. As ruminating animals, they do not suffer for want of nutriment to the same extent as those whose food passes at once into the true digestive stomach, but they require water as frequently, if not more often, especially when down in the hold of a vessel.

At the landing-places in our ports water-troughs are certainly fixed, so that the cattle can drink on coming out of the vessel. This is a decided advantage. The cattle, also, should rest twelve hours at least after debarkation before a satisfactory opinion can be arrived at as to their freedom from disease ; for after all the privations and fatigues they have undergone they should be refreshed by rest and food and breathing a pure air before being hurried off to market. — London paper.