Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 04.djvu/415

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CATTLE PLAGUE. 353 CATULLUS. double its usual proportion of fibrin. Tlie muscular tissues are softened, easily broken down, and contain an abnormal amount of solu- ble albumen. The urine is little altered in (luantitv, but from the first rise in the animal's temperature it contains an increase of urea varying from 5 to 15 per cent. The chief change in the milk is its rapid diminution in quantity and the increase of its fatty matters. The bile is watery, offensive, and prone to decomposition. Tkeat.ment. Cattle plague is proved to be an eruptive fever. When the specific virus has entered the body of a susceptible subject, no medicinal treatment has yet been discovered which can destroy it or materially shorten or mitigate its effects. Until such an antidote is found, there can be no hope of certain cure. The British cattle-plague commissioners collect- ed information regarding the four following methods of treatment — namely, the antiphlogis- tic, the tonic and stimulant, the antiseptic, and the special. Diverse as are these systems, the percentages of recoveries — varying from 25.83 to -7.45 — were so nearly alike that it is fair to conclude that no one of the systems tried exer- cised any notable influence in checking the mor- tality. Partly, jjerhaps, from the varying viru- lence of the plague, partly from the differences in the nursing and care bestowed on the animals, the proportion of recoveries has varied greatly in different localities. Rational treatment is limited to warding off untoward .symptoms, to careful nursing, and husbanding the failing strength. It must, however, be remembered that throughout the progress of the disease there is constant spreading of the infection to healthy cattle. Hence, plague subjects should be imme- diately destroyed. Except, therefore, for purely scientific purposes, and with careful precautions to prevent the spread of the disease, it is un- wise to attempt remedial treatment. Where, however, a beast is to have a chance of recov- ery, so soon a.s the elevated temperature indi- cates the accession of the disease solid, indi- gestible food should be withheld, and the patient restricted to mashes, gruel, boiled linseed, malt, and other food which can be digested without the necessity for lumination. 'here the bowels at the outset are costive, a dose of oil or a very small quantity of some saline purgative may be required. Cold water, gruel, mashes, or stale bread soaked either in water or beer should be offered at short intervals throughout the at- t.ack. The animal, kept in an atmosphere of about C0°, should be comfortably clothed and have its legs bandaged. The hot-air bath and wet packing have been repeatedly tried; but al- though probably useful in tlii'- earlier stages, appear, when the disease is fully established, to harass and weaken the patient. Small and re- peated doses of sulphite of soda have in some cases proved useful, and may be conjoined with carefully regulated, moderate doees of such slinuilants as ale, whisky and water, sweet spirit of nitre, spirit of ammonia, or strong colFee. It is most important, however, that these and other .such medicines should be drunk by the animal of its own accord in the gruel, water, or mashes, as forcible drenching always disturbs the patient. The inhalation of chloro- form, although temporarily relieving the dis- tressed breathing, does not appear to exert any jwrmanent benefit. PitKVE.NTiON. From what has been stated re- garding the nature of cattle plague, it must be evident that its prevention can be effected by the destruction of the specific virus, or by re- moving beyond its influence all animals on which it might fasten. Xeithcr should sheep, fresh hides, hay, nor any other fodder and litter from countries where this ruinous plague exists, or has recently existed, be imported without first undergoing thorough disinfection. In England importations of cattle plague are guarded against by the provisions of the contagious djseases (animal) acts (1809 and 1878). Xeither cattle, sheep, nor pigs, fodder, litter, nor hides can be landed from countries where the plague exists, or from places in direct communi- cation with such infected countries. All for- eign stock is inspected at the ports of debarka- tion, and inspectors have orders for the imme- diate slaughter and disinfection of cattle-plague .subjects and of any animals with which they have been in contact. As in the ca.se of many other infectious diseases, prevention of cattle plague is most successfully accomplished by producing immunity through inoculation. Im- munization has been produced by natural virus and by virus which has been modified experi- mentally. Koch's method consisted in giving hypodermic inoculations of pure bile from plague subjects. According to the method of Edington, one part of bile was mixed with two parts of glycerin, and after ten days an injec- tion of virulent blood diluted in" water was given. Danisz and Bordet have experimented in the Transvaal with an immunizing serum. Turner and Kolle succeeded in producing an im- munity which lasted for several months. Their method consisted in giving simultaneous injec- tion of virulent blood on one side of the animal and serum on the other. Innnunity was also obtained by successive inoculations of virulent blood and serum. Cattle plague does not occur in the United States. Texas fever has been con- founded with it by some authors, but these dis- eases are of quite different nature. Contagious pleuro-pneumonia has also been confounded with cattle plague. In Turkey cattle plague was foimd closely associated with aphthous fever and Texas fever. Consult: Gamgee, The Cattle Plague (London, 1886) ; Noeard and Leclainehe, ' Les maladies microhicnnes drs animaux, 2d ed. (Paris, 1898); Turner and Kolle, Repiyrt on Cure and Prevention of Rinderpest, Agricultural Department, Cape of Good Hope (Cape Town, 1898) ; Great liritnin Cattle Plague Commis- sioners' Reports I., II., III., IV. (London, 1865). CATTLE TICK. See Texas Fever. CAT'TY (:Malay, Javanese Idfi, kati. pound). The unit of weight largely used throughout Chi- nese and ilalayan Asia, and by the Chinese all over the world. .A. catty is l{, pounds avoir- dupois. CAT'TYWAE'. See Ivatuiaw-ab. CATUL'LUS, Gaius Valerius (c.87-c.54 B.C.). 'the greatest of the Roman lyric poets. He was born in Verona, of a respected "and well-to-do f.amily. Very little is known of his personal life, though much may be learned from his poems, which are intensely subjective. He set-