In  regard  to  the  cause  or  causes  of  this  disease,  I  could  elicit  nothing  whatever
from  the  owner  and  others  in  position  to  know  something  about  it.  it  would  be
but  mere  guessing  if  I  were  to  attempt  to  form  an  opinion  from  an  imperfect  de-
scription of  svmptoms,  or  from  the  present  appearance  of  the  two  slowly  recover-
ing cows,  with  the  additional  obstacle  to  a  thorough  physical  examination,  caused
by  the  very  severe  blistering  above  stated.  I  learned  tnat  some  of  the  cows  that  had
died  were  opened  and  examined ;  but  the  statements  by  persons  who  were  present
do  not  agree.  In  some  of  the  animals  the  spleen  was  said  to  be  abnormally  large,
of  a  dark  blue  color  externally,  and  the  cut  surface  dark  brown  and  soft ;  uie
stomach  full  of  food,  said  not  to  be  very  dry  or  impacted  ;  one  or  both  lungs  slightly
congested.    Liver  normal.    The  animals  were  sick  three  to  six  days  before  dying.
If  more  time  had  elapsed  before  the  animals  began  to  get  sick,  it  would  appear
that  they  might  have  died  from  splenic  or  so-called  Texas  fever.  The  statement
made  as  to  the  appearance  of  the  spleen  made  me  first  suppose  that  this  mi^ht  be
the  case;  otherwise  that  there  must  have  been  some  local  cause  or  influence  m  op-
eration; but  my  inquiries  in  this  direction  were  fruitless,  and  it  appeared  to  me
that  the  facts  in  the  case  as  to  the  cause  of  the  disease  were  studiously  withheld
from  me.  I  concluded  that  there  was  no  conta^ous  disease  on  this  range,  after
looking  over  all  the  cattle  kept  here.
One  week  subsequently)  or  on  the  28d  of  Aprils  while  on  a  train  a  short  distance


486  RBPOET  OF  THE  BURKATT   OF  ANIMAIi   INDUSTEY.
